News

New WAV 3D Printing technology solves limitations of existing AM technologies 

Paxis LLC is pleased to announce the grant of US Patent No. 10,343,390 entitled “Additive Manufacturing Apparatus, System, and Method”.

The patent covers the apparatus and system for producing a three-dimensional object in an additive manufacturing technique and method for operating the apparatus and system, and more specifically, to an apparatus, system, and method that uses a roller in contact with a flowable resin or other precursor material in building each layer of the object.

“WAV™ (Wave Applied Voxel) is an entirely new, scalable, industrial additional manufacturing process that is designed to conquer the limitations of existing AM technologies.  At Paxis, we believe the newly developed WAV process will not only break the traditional boundaries of current technology limitations, but also enable the development of a new generation of resins and materials that could not be imagined, or developed previously,” said Mike Littrell, CEO, co-inventor of WAV and Founder of Paxis LLC.

“Unlike other additive manufacturing technologies that have been introduced in the last few years, WAV is built without pulling from existing technologies and designed without constraints,” continued Littrell.  “WAV was designed to meet the needs of the users that were not being met by current additive manufacturing systems.  WAV is fully scalable in the X, Y and Z Axis, and deploys resin in a unique way that allows Paxis to have an extremely large build area with as little as 1 liter of resin loaded in the machine at any given time.

“Throughout the years, we have heard and expressed the the same issues when it comes to 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing;  the technology needs to be bigger, parts need to be larger and built in a single build, address trap volume issues, add-modify-remove parts during the build, provide a way to have material flexibility and optimization. Understanding these issues and removing all perceived restrictions, we came at the development of the new WAV technology without restrictions, without constraints.  We focused on building a technology that eliminated trapped volume, enabled expansion in the x, y, and z, provided material flexibility with swappable material feeds, and now, we are in the process of working with material providers to optimize materials for applications and end-users.

“We are excited to receive the issuance of US Patent No. 10,343,390,” concluded Littrell.

About Paxis LLC

The WAV™ (Wave Applied Voxel) process was created with the requirements of the commercial manufacturer in mind, in an effort to solve trapped volume issues within current liquid resin-based technologies. The success in solving one problem opened the doors to solving many, which include: Scalability in size and speed, significant reduction in post processing requirement, multiple material production, exotic material management, lower cost of operation, the elimination and need for a large vat during large-part production, as well as the ability for embedded components and many more.

Founded in 2016, Paxis LLC, headquartered in Crystal Lake, IL, announced the development of the WAV™ (Wave Applied Voxel) process, with commercialization timing to be announced at a later date. Designed to meet advanced manufacturing needs within the Additive Manufacturing (AM) and 3D Printing industry, while expandable to non-AM industries WAV™ is a completely new, ground-up AM process. Designed without constraints, the new, patent-pending WAV™ technology is fully scalable in the X, Y, and Z axis, and deploys material in a unique way that allows for the production of extremely large part(s) or larger quantities of smaller parts, with as little as 1 liter of material loaded in the machine at any given time. The technology is designed to embrace the use of multiple materials of different viscosities within the same part build.

For more information on the WAV™ additive manufacturing process and technology, please visit: www.paxis.com.

Additive Manufacturing Apparatus, System, and Method

US Patent No. 10,343,390

Paxis Press Contact
Mike Littrell
Elizabeth Goode
Email:  Paxis

• BASF’s photopolymer materials for advanced manufacturing applications qualify for early development access in new WAV™ technology
• BASF’s Ultracur3D ST 45 reactive urethane photopolymer fulfills the requirements of functional applications

BASF 3D Printing Solutions is to provide innovative additive manufacturing materials to Paxis LLC for their new WAV™ technology. This is currently in development and is designed to meet the needs of additive manufacturing users, advanced manufacturing as well as traditional manufacturing markets. The WAV™ (Wave Applied Voxel) process was created with the end-user firmly in mind in an effort to solve trapped volume issues of within current liquid resin-based technologies.

“The combination of BASF materials and Paxis’s sytem will revolutionize the way end-applications are designed, manufactured and integrated into production”, states Arnaud Guedou, Business Director Photopolymer Solutions, BASF 3D Printing Solutions. “With the new WAV™ technology, Paxis extends the application possibilities of additive manufacturing to a much broader scope than current technologies allow. What’s more, equipment and processes can be adapted to requirements that were previously unimaginable in additive manufacturing. BASF’s innovative photopolymer materials are a perfect match for Paxis’s WAV™ technology.”

BASF’s Ultracur3D ST 45 reactive urethane photopolymer for tough applications has been designed to fulfill the requirements of functional applications for high accuracy and mechanical strength, where existing 3D printing materials often reach their limitations. Ultracur3D ST 45 can be used to produce high performance functional parts by using a wide variety of equipment, such as stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), or Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).

Paxis’s primary focus are commercial manufacturer applications in the aerospace, automotive, dental and medical sectors, as well as identifying potential vertical markets within advanced manufacturing that have so far been ignored due to the limitations of existing technologies.

Commercial manufacturers will benefit from a scalability of size and speed previously unknown in current additive-manufacturing resin-based systems. Hand-selected companies will be invited during the early stages of hardware and product development to work closely with industrial producers on solving their application requirements. Adaptability to specific commercial manufacturer needs coupled with a system capable of far greater scalability will further accelerate additive manufacturing beyond mass customization, with the goal of opening up new untapped vertical markets.

“Pairing innovative materials at the earliest stages of designing the WAV™ technology is critical to meeting the needs of end-users – that is, the commercial manufacturers”, explains Mike Littrell, CEO, co-inventor of WAV™ and Founder of Paxis LLC. “Too often, the material is modified to work within the limitations of existing technologies. Through our early access program our approach is to work with progressive material manufacturers like BASF, as well as commercial manufacturers at the earliest stages of product development in order to push system capabilities and forge future hardware improvements. Developing the materials prior to launching the WAV™ technology will enable end-users to integrate the technology quickly into their operations.”

“BASF’s collaboration with Paxis will enable customers to access a modular additive manufacturing technology, whether they are producing large quantities of small parts, small quantities of very large parts, or anything in between”, says Oleksandra Korotchuk, Business Development Manager BASF 3D Printing Solutions. “The combination of BASF materials and Paxis’s WAV™ technology will revolutionize the way end-applications are designed, manufactured and integrated into scalable production.”

Learn more about Paxis at RAPID + TCT in the CIDEAS Booth #1441 in Detroit from May 20 to 23, 2019 featuring samples made with BASF’s photopolymer Ultracur3D ST 45. Come see us to discuss your application needs!

For more information, please visit: www.ultracur3d-photopolymer.com

About BASF 3D Printing Solutions

BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH, headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, is a fully owned subsidiary of BASF New Business GmbH. It focuses on establishing and expanding the business with 3D printing materials, system solutions, components and services. BASF 3DPS is organized into startup-like structures to serve customers in the dynamic 3D printing market. It cooperates closely with the global research platforms and application technologies of various departments at BASF as well as with leading research institutes, universities, startups and industrial partners. Potential customers are primarily companies that intend to use 3D printing for industrial manufacturing; typical industries include automotive, airspace and consumer goods.

For further information please visit: www.basf-3dps.com.

About BASF

At BASF we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. For further information please visit: www.basf.com.

About Paxis LLC

The WAV™ (Wave Applied Voxel) process was created with the requirements of the commercial manufacturer in mind, in an effort to solve trapped volume issues within current liquid resin-based technologies. The success in solving one problem opened the doors to solving many, which include: Scalability in size and speed, significant reduction in post processing requirement, multiple material production, exotic material management, lower cost of operation, the elimination and need for a large vat during large-part production, as well as the ability for embedded components and many more.

Founded in 2016, Paxis LLC, headquartered in Crystal Lake, IL, announced the development of the WAV™ (Wave Applied Voxel) process, with commercialization timing to be announced at a later date. Designed to meet advanced manufacturing needs within the Additive Manufacturing (AM) and 3D Printing industry, while expandable to non-AM industries WAV™ is a completely new, ground-up AM process. Designed without constraints, the new, patent-pending WAV™ technology is fully scalable in the X, Y, and Z axis, and deploys material in a unique way that allows for the production of extremely large part(s) or larger quantities of smaller parts, with as little as 1 liter of material loaded in the machine at any given time. The technology is designed to embrace the use of multiple materials of different viscosities within the same part build.

For more information on the WAV™ additive manufacturing process and technology, please visit: www.paxis.com.

BASF’s photopolymer materials “Ultracur3D” for advanced manufacturing applications qualify for early development access in new WAV™ technology

BASF Press Contact
Katharina Molko
+49 174 3480161
EMAIL:  Katharina Molko

Paxis Press Contact
Mike Littrell
Elizabeth Goode
Email:  Paxis

WAV, a new large build area industrial manufacturing process with projected speeds of 4x, 8x, and 24x+ of current additive manufacturing photopolymerization systems

CRYSTAL LAKE, Illinois (May, 8, 2017) – Paxis LLC, announced the launch of their new company and its pioneering additive manufacturing and 3D printing WAV technology.  An entirely new, scalable, industrial additive manufacturing technology, WAV (Wave Applied Voxel) is designed to conquer the limitations of existing technologies, with projected speeds of 4x, 8x, 24x+ of the fastest large vat systems on the market. WAV has exponentially upgradeable speeds with modular hardware expansions, all while yielding a lower cost of operation.

The patent pending WAV process by Paxis is an entirely new technology imagined and designed from the ground up, by a small team within CIDEAS Inc. (buildparts.com), an industrial 3D printing service bureau, with its roots dating back to 1998.

Mike Littrell, founder of Paxis LLC and co-inventor of WAV stated, “WAV’s large build area and truly unique production method is ideal for large investment casting masters, large parts and large batch builds of smaller parts built on one platform.

“WAV (pronounced wave) is a truly scalable, modular industrial additive manufacturing technology, which is expandable in both build size and speed.  The attributes of the WAV process will allow resin developers to re-think material development which was hindered by the limitations of previous technologies.”

Paxis is currently seeking investment partners.  For more information visit www.paxis.com.

ABOUT PAXIS LLC
Paxis LLC was founded in 2016 by Mike Littrell.  With nearly 20 years experience in the additive manufacturing industry, Paxis is the second company to be formed by Littrell.  For more information on the WAV additive manufacturing process and technology, visit www.paxis.com

ABOUT CIDEAS INC
Since 1998 CIDEAS Inc. has been providing 3D printing and additive manufacturing services. Utilizing over 30 in-house machines, CIDEAS offers all major processes under one roof, including; SLA, SLS, FDM, CLIP, PolyJet, as well as a variety of part finishing options and urethane castings. In early 2017, CIDEAS Inc. expanded its capabilities with two 3D Systems ProX800 machines, a Stratasys J750 and a Carbon M1. www.buildparts.com