DIGITAL AND 3D PRINTING

The MAGNET program (Technological Generic Research and Development) combines entities from the industry and academia with the aim of creating a beneficial cooperation between companies and academic groups. The program is being promoted by the Israel Innovation Authority at the Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Autodesk Company Laboratory at its development center in Tel Aviv.

In recent years, there has been a marked trend to develop aviation components by means of 3D printing, thereby significantly reducing their weight. The “Future Consortium” Project was established by the Israel Innovation Authority under the Ministry of Economy and Industry, for the purpose of bringing together various entities, including security companies, the Air Force, the Airports Authority, academic representatives and others, to create a fruitful cooperation in the field.

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dip Tech was founded in 2005 and engages in the development and manufacturing of digital printing machines and ceramic ink for printing on glass surfaces. The company’s management is based in Israel and employs workers in Israel, the US, Europe and China. Since 2011, the Fortissimo Fund acquired 80% of the holdings in the company and in 2017 announced its sale in the amount of $80M.

The company, established in 2002, develops, manufactures and markets digital printing technologies for the textile and clothing industries. In the past year, the Kornit  Digital share has doubled its value, and is currently traded on NASDAQ at a market cap of $700M, an increase of 40% since the beginning of the year. The company has recently signed an agreement with Amazon for the purchase of the its products in the scope of $150M over five years.

The company has developed an innovative technology that replaces traditional cutting knives and enables the cutting of cardboard cartons by laser and the creation of folding lines using plastic molds created in 3D printing with a special polymer. As of June 2017, the company has sold over 50 printing machines to international customers, including one of the largest card companies in the US, American Greeting.

At the end of 2015, an academic center dedicated to 3D printing was established at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the leadership of Prof. Shlomo Magdisi of the Institute of Chemistry. This is a unique center, the first of its kind in Israel, whose purpose is to engage in research and development in the field of 3D printing and to collaborate with researchers from diverse disciplines and faculties.

The “Marvad Project”, is a cooperation between the Air Force, MAFAT (The Administration for Research and Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure) under the Ministry of Defense and Tel Aviv University in the field of 3D printing, which focuses on Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology and metals.