New Controlled Viscosity Molding Technology Finds Commercial Traction in Optics, Overmolded Electronics, and High-Performance Resins
LOVELAND, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–X2F, the developer of a transformative plastics processing technology, announced today a key technical personnel appointment as the company accelerates its commercialization in the medical, industrial, automotive, and consumer electronics sectors.
X2F has named Ken Jacob, a plastics industry veteran and leading technology expert, to the position of Director of Technology. The appointment was announced today by Rick Fitzpatrick, X2F Founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
“We’re thrilled to have someone of Ken’s caliber with deep technical experience and leadership qualities,” said Fitzpatrick. “He will be an invaluable part of our team, helping us manage and direct our technical resources through an exciting period of growth.”
Jacob brings more than 25 years of experience in product development, machine design, engineering, and hot runner systems. Most recently, he was Global Manager of Master Solutions at Mold-Masters Ltd., with responsibility for engineering groups in North America, Europe, India, and Asia. He has held numerous leadership roles at Mold-Masters and led many multi-million-dollar projects.
“I look forward to helping the team respond to the demand for X2F’s unique processing technology and further advancing our technical capabilities as we deliver unique and differentiating advantages over any other molding process,” said Jacob.
X2F’s new molding technology enables the manufacture of complex product designs using previously “un-moldable” materials. The controlled viscosity process dramatically reduces material degradation and molded-in stress inherent in today’s conventional molding technologies. The result: more complex, stronger, and durable parts that exhibit enhanced performance. X2F’s proprietary process also offers faster development from prototyping to production-scale, molding of ultra-high-performance materials, and numerous operational advantages.
X2F is deploying the technology in applications that include optics, overmolded electronics, and highly-filled engineering resins. For optical applications such as mobile phone lenses, the process produces parts with reduced birefringence and anisotropic shrink. In automotive lighting applications, the X2F process can produce complex geometries, thicker lenses, and larger shapes. In encapsulated electronics applications, the X2F process allows for fewer production steps, dramatically improved yields, shorter cycle times, and new materials with advanced properties. For highly filled resins like polyether ether ketone (PEEK), the process permits increased glass or carbon fiber loadings, which provide dramatically improved strength and stiffness.
The company has produced nearly three million commercial parts for the medical, industrial, automotive, and consumer electronics industries. The hiring of Jacob will accelerate X2F’s growth trajectory and enable the team to continue meeting its customer needs across a range of applications.
About X2F
X2F, based in Loveland, Colo., is commercializing a new category of molding technology that leverages controlled viscosity and a patented pulse-packing approach to create high-value components for a variety of industries. X2F’s process uses advanced materials previously thought impossible to mold and is able to achieve complex product geometries with improved operational efficiencies. The technology creates entirely new paradigms in product design, tooling, and material science for molded parts.
Initial target applications include polymer-based optics with improved properties, overmolding of delicate electronics and circuitry, and highly-filled engineering resins. The company has financial backing from Atlas Innovate with senior advisors that include the former CEOs of General Motors and Dow Chemical. For more information, visit www.x2f.com.
Contacts
Press Contact:
Joseph Grande
J. Grande communications Inc.
413.684.2463
joe@jgrandecommunications.com
