A University of Nottingham spin-out that helps researchers and companies develop new materials for 3D printing, and makes an open benchtop inkjet printer called Jetforge.
Added Scientific works on the materials side of 3D printing. Its specialists focus on material jetting, binder jetting and photocurable printing. Material jetting works a bit like an office inkjet printer, but instead of ink it places tiny droplets of special liquids that harden into a solid object. Binder jetting glues powder together layer by layer, and photocurable printing hardens resins with light. The company began as a contract research organisation, working with industry and university partners to improve materials, print heads and process settings, and says it is moving towards a full product line.
The first product is Jetforge, an open, modular benchtop 3D inkjet platform that is in beta. It accepts different print heads and configurable hardware, so researchers can adapt it to different liquids, including polymers, ceramics and functional materials. Planned work includes a commercial release, more print head options and printers for areas such as electronics and structural parts. The company's aim, in the words of investor and board member David Leigh, is that "lowering the barrier to entry for materials development is key". In plain terms, it wants more scientists to be able to try ideas in additive manufacturing without needing a huge budget or a specialist lab.
Added Scientific is a spin-out from the University of Nottingham's Centre for Additive Manufacturing, which sits in the Faculty of Engineering, and is linked to Nottingham in the East Midlands. It was founded by three of the university's professors: Richard Hague, Chris Tuck and Ricky Wildman. Hague is also the director of the centre. The pages we read do not give a street address, so we can confirm the Nottingham connection but not the exact site. A separate job listing on a UK engineering job board advertises a 3D printing specialist role, which suggests the company hires in the UK.
On people and culture, the company describes a skilled team of researchers, engineers and scientists. Two experienced industry figures have joined the board as investors: Brent Stucker, who co-founded the simulation software company 3DSIM, and David Leigh, who founded Harvest Technologies and later held senior roles at 3D Systems and EOS. Both have more than 30 years of experience in the sector. This is the company's own description of its team. We found no first-hand accounts of the working culture, and no headcount.
For a student, this is a useful example of how research at a university can turn into a company. The people involved include materials scientists, chemists, mechanical and electronic engineers, software developers and sales staff who talk to customers. If you enjoy chemistry, physics, engineering or computing and like designing experiments, a business built around helping other people run experiments is a good fit to look at. Many of its customers are themselves researchers, so the work stays close to new science.
Website: www.addedscientific.com
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