Meteor receives patent for ShellPro technology

Exploiting the powerful greyscale capability of inkjet, Meteor Inkjet Ltd’s patented ShellPro technology offers step-function savings in the energy and materials required to create complex 3D structures through binder jetting. The company has been granted a US patent for ‘Methods and Systems for Shell Formation in 3D Printing’ by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Meteor’s patented ShellPro technology takes the pain out of creating this shell through a novel technique that capitalises on the multiple drop size capability of greyscale industrial inkjet printheads.

In addition, ShellPro can automatically reduce shell thickness for small features on a printed object, resulting in improved dimensional accuracy. ShellPro is included as a standard feature in Meteor’s Met3D software. Met3D provides a straightforward method to convert 3D CAD files such as STL or OBJ to rasterised vector files that inkjet printers can understand. This innovation offers the potential for additive manufacturing print systems to use as much as 50 percent less binder fluid, reduces the energy needed for curing and creates 3D objects faster, all without sacrificing quality.