Could your next handbag feature 3D printing? A new partnership between XJet and XOLUTIONS, a supplier to the luxury fashion market, is set to explore the potential for additive manufacturing (AM) in high-end fashion accessories and jewellery production.
The group, which comprises of Bluclad S.p.A., a provider of electroplating for metal accessories in the luxury fashion industry, and Progold, S.p.A, a supplier of alloys and master alloys for jewellery manufacturing, has agreed to purchase an XJet Carmel 1400M metal 3D printer, which will be used to support R&D into 3D printing within the fashion and luxury sector.
Damiano Zito, CEO of Progold, said XJet’s NanoParticle Jetting technology – a direct material jetting process that uses “ink” instead of powders – “fits the needs of the luxury market perfectly.”
“Uniqueness is highly valued in this industry,” states Zito. “We’re long-time users of AM technology, so we understand the freedom of design and fast time-to-market it delivers. The versatility of AM technology makes it ideal for both niche productions and limited editions, as well as for significant productions well-suited to the typical volumes of the fashion accessory sector. In high-end fashion, consumers crave beautiful, custom pieces. This is exactly where XJet excels. Its technology facilitates the creation of highly intricate and attractive pieces in small batches, enabling high definition, shortened production cycle, and higher adaptability to various customisation needs.”
After teasing its metal additive manufacturing technology in 2016, XJet delivered its first Carmel 1400M metal 3D printing system to AM service provider Azoth in 2022 following a slight rebrand in 2019. In the interim, the company successfully commenced shipments of its ceramic Carmel 1400C printers to organisations such as KU Leuven and the Manufacturing Technology Centre.
On this latest XJet Carmel 1400M install, Andrew Middleton, Chief Business Officer, XJet, commented, “We’re delighted to be a part of XOLUTIONS’ journey towards more sustainable production, and eagerly anticipate the creations that will emerge from this collaboration.”
The purchase is said to form part of a broader strategy for XOLUTIONS to deliver on growing demand for stainless steel components from clients in the fashion accessories and jewellery manufacturing sector. A collection of parts 3D printed using the XJet Carmel 1400M system will be on display at Vicenzaoro Jewellery Boutique Show in Vicenza this month.
Though not widely adopted currently, additive manufacturing is already being used by a number of designers and providers to the luxury goods market. Last year, TCT spoke to Legor about its development of precious metal powders for use with HP’s Metal Jet technology in a bid to ‘disrupt luxury jewellery and fashion industries’, and we also went through the doors at Julia Koerner’s Vienna Atelier to understand how the architect and designer uses 3D printing for Hollywood, luxury fashion pieces and home decor. Meanwhile, Austrian jewellery atelier BOLTENSTERN pioneered the use 3D printing precious metals for custom luxury products, including its TCT Award-winning Embrace collection, in collaboration with Cooksongold. In some areas, 3D printing is being viewed as a potential solution to sustainability challenges facing the fashion industry, as seen through Stratasys’ work with a range of artists and fashion houses using its TechStyle direct fabric printing system, and in the recent AMGTA lifecycle assessment, which found that 3D printing can be used to reduce CO2 emissions in luxury designer shoe production.
