Berlin, Germany [June 24, 2025] – Quantica is excited to announce the start of a Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (ZIM) project, a German government funding program that supports innovation, in collaboration with Fraunhofer IPA and droptical.
The joint ZIM project, "Entwicklung eines industriellen Moduldruckwerks mit integriertem Prognosesystem zur Verarbeitung hochviskoser Materialien für 2,5D Applikationen" (Development of an industrial modular printing unit with an integrated prognosis system for processing high-viscosity materials for 2.5D applications), has kicked off in May 2025 and will continue for the next 27 months.
It brings together Quantica GmbH, Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, and droptical GmbH to support the advancement of material jetting technologies for production environments. The initiative aims to enhance process reliability, improve print quality, and unlock new application areas by developing a modular material jetting process with integrated real-time monitoring.
Key focuses include a multi-printhead printing system for high-viscosity materials, a sensor system for detecting and correcting process deviations, and an optical monitoring system for real-time droplet generation control. The project is designed to lead to the production of homogeneous, closed surfaces in a single pass, benefiting industries like printed electronics, medical, automotive, and many more.
The project brings together the expertise of Quantica in high viscosity inkjet, droptical's knowledge in dispensing and monitoring, and the production integration and process expertise of Fraunhofer IPA. We are excited for this collaboration and its findings, as we continue to push the boundaries of industrial inkjet.
Quantica: Quantica is an additive manufacturing technology provider specializing in advanced materials deposition systems. Their core innovation is the NovoJet™ printhead, which enables printing of functional, high-viscosity materials previously considered unjettable. This allows industries to digitize production processes, reduce waste, and develop new applications across various sectors like automotive, industrial coatings, battery manufacturing, and printed electronics.
Fraunhofer IPA: With nearly 1,200 employees, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing, Engineering and Automation – Fraunhofer IPA for short – is one of the largest Institutes in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. With a total budget of € 100 million, the Institute’s research focus is on the organizational and technological aspects of production. Across 11 research areas, we develop, test, and implement not only components, devices, and methods but entire machines and manufacturing plants as well. In 11 business areas, we bring our research results to life, in cooperation with enterprises. We focus especially on the automotive, machinery and equipment, electronics and microsystems, energy, medical and bio engineering industries, as well as process manufacturing.
Droptical: droptical is a tech start-up from Nuremberg, Germany, which specializes in the development of drop generators (dispensers) and camera technology (dropwatcher) for the optical monitoring of contactless dosing processes. The company's products stand out thanks to their high degree of miniaturization and ease of integration and handling. Modular design and miniaturization enable the integration of optical cameras for real-time monitoring of dispensing and printing processes for the first time. This significantly optimizes dispensing processes and reduces scrap in areas ranging from pharmaceuticals and biotech to electronics manufacturing and inkjet printing.