China’s Zoltrix using HP Metal Jet Binder Jetting to produce hundreds of thousands of consumer electronics parts
Zoltrix Material International Limited, one of China’s leading Metal Injection Molding (MIM) companies, is reported to be using Binder Jetting to additively manufacture hundreds of thousands of metal components for consumer electronic applications.
On display at HP’s booth at this year’s Formnext were a number of end-use parts manufactured by Zoltrix using HP’s Metal Jet technology. The parts, made from 316L and 17-4PH stainless steel, included smartwatch cases post-processed to achieve a ‘best-in-class quality.’
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Asia’s consumer electronics sector has been a key target market for Binder Jetting technology suppliers, with companies such as Apple and Samsung using huge volumes of highly complex precision metal components. It was the adoption of MIM technology for key applications by Apple more than a decade ago that led to a surge in growth for the MIM industry, and there is an expectation that Binder Jetting will follow the same path.
According to information displayed with the part, Zoltrix delivers ‘end-to-end mass production solutions with HP Metal Jet for customers in the consumer electronics, industrial and medical device sectors.’ It was stated that the primary benefits of Binder Jetting for Zoltrix’s customers are cost and weight reduction, rapid production development and optimisation, and greater design freedom – including reduced material usage.
According to a video published by Chinese AM media platform Panda3dprinting, viewable here, Zoltrix has been using HPs Metal Jet technology since 2019 and has since shipped ‘hundreds of thousands’ of parts made by Additive Manufacturing.
The post-processing of MIM and BJT parts at Zoltrix is a key part of its success, and after debinding and sintering, processes such as Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP), sandblasting, polishing and PVD surface finishing are routinely used. The company is also reported to have more than 500 CNC machines for the post-sintering machining of parts.
Zoltrix’s Technology and Application Design Center is based in Guangzhou, whilst its toolmaking and MIM parts manufacturing operations are located in state-of-the art plant in Southern China. It is owned by CN Innovations Holdings Limited (CNI), headquartered in Hong Kong and with main production sites spread across Mainland China, including Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Suzhou, Zhejiang and Shanghai. CNI has over 11,000 employees and has in the past frequently appeared on the Apple Suppliers List.
