With Formnext 2024 just around the corner, Meteor Inkjet is bringing new capabilities to the forefront. The Cambridge, UK company, known for its industrial printer control electronics and software, teamed up with 3D printing software specialist AMIS. Together, they are launching a new digital front end (DFE) software designed to make binder and material jetting smoother and faster for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

This new alliance combines Meteor’s expertise in controlling the printheads that handle precise ink or material droplets with AMIS’s software for setting up and managing print jobs. Together, they’re providing a solution that simplifies every stage, from job setup in the DFE software to the final drop of material on the print surface.

Meteor Inkjet’s Shell 3D patented technology. Image courtesy of Meteor Inkjet.

While inkjet technology is widely used in 2D printing, bringing it into 3D printing presents unique challenges. Meteor and AMIS want to tackle many issues manufacturers face when incorporating inkjet technology into their workflows. These hurdles include getting consistent, high-quality prints, increasing production speed without sacrificing quality, ensuring systems remain reliable over time, and fitting inkjet technology smoothly into existing production lines.

The AMIS DFE software, combined with Meteor’s advanced electronics that drive industrial inkjet printheads, gives manufacturers an easier way to set up, manage, and monitor their print jobs. According to the company, its electronics control the precision and timing of each inkjet drop, ensuring accurate, high-quality printing.

Together, this system connects seamlessly with existing management and design software, such as management information systems (MIS), manufacturing execution systems (MES), and simulation or CAD, providing a complete, all-in-one solution for additive manufacturing (AM) tasks.

Founded in 2006 as a project within The Technology Partnership Group (TTP)—a UK-based technology development company—Meteor has evolved into a leader in electronics and software for industrial printers. Now a subsidiary of the Hybrid Software Group, Meteor specializes in the technology that controls high-tech inkjet printers, ensuring each drop of ink or material lands exactly where it should. Its products serve a range of industries, from 2D printing and packaging to 3D printing.

As part of the Hybrid Software Group—a network of companies focused on industrial printing and software—Meteor can collaborate closely with sister companies like AMIS, which specializes in software for batch-based additive manufacturing. This connection enables them to create comprehensive, integrated solutions for advanced manufacturing.

What’s more, Meteor’s vast experience with industrial inkjet printheads adds extra value to this collaboration. Meteor’s strong relationship with companies like Xerox, Ricoh, Kyocera, and FUJIFILM Dimatix opens up access to a wide range of high-performance printheads for material jetting.

“The alliance of Meteor and AMIS connects the AM community with decades of combined experience in inkjet hardware and enterprise software while making the most of the synergy that comes from both Meteor and AMIS being a part of the Hybrid Software Group,” says Clive Ayling, Meteor’s Managing Director. “Together, we look forward to helping OEM print system builders harness the power of  inkjet for additive manufacturing in a way that provides a meaningful reduction in system development  cost, time and risk.”

Meteor Inkjet’s new HDC-XM solution for the Xerox M Series. Image courtesy of Meteor Inkjet.

In addition to its work with AMIS, Meteor is expanding its collaboration with Xerox. Meteor recently announced new support for Xerox’s M Series printheads, which are designed to be highly durable and can handle thicker, high-viscosity liquids. These printheads are particularly useful in 3D printing and decorative printing, as well as in the pharmaceutical and food industries, where precise application is essential.

While Xerox manufactures these printheads, it’s Meteor’s electronics and software that allow manufacturers to integrate and control them effectively. Building on its earlier work with Xerox’s W Series, Meteor has now developed the HDC-XM solution. This control system lets manufacturers fully leverage the unique capabilities of the M Series printheads. This new solution goes beyond just hardware, adding software that improves system control, simplifies print job setup, and enhances overall print quality.

The combined efforts of Meteor, AMIS, and Xerox point to a broader push within the AM industry to make advanced inkjet technology more adaptable and versatile. At the upcoming Formnext event in Frankfurt, Germany, Meteor will present the new integrated solution with AMIS and its expanded support for Xerox printheads, offering a closer look at how their technology can transform AM workflows.