Ben Hartkopp
Founder, Inventor, Head of Research and IP, Quantica
Ben Hartkopp is a researcher and inventor with a background in physics and chemistry, focused on the technical challenges of digital material deposition. In 2017, he co-invented the NovoJet™ printhead, a piezoelectric inkjet technology designed to jet high-viscosity industrial fluids far beyond the limits of conventional inkjet. He has filed nine patent families and serves as Head of Research and IP at Quantica, building the company’s full IP portfolio. His work spans actuator design, fluid rheology, material-process compatibility, and system integration for advanced manufacturing applications. Ben has presented his findings at Hannover Messe, Productronica, AIT, IMI, IPI, and Rapid + TCT.
Jetting High-Viscosity Adhesives: A Digital, Scalable, Waste-Free Solution
In e-motor and hydrogen fuel cell manufacturing, adhesives are functional components — directly affecting efficiency, thermal management, and gas-tight sealing integrity. Yet the dominant application method remains single-nozzle dispensing: limited volume and precision, and reliant on mechanical spreading during stack assembly, with limited flexibility to adapt to more complex design geometries without retooling.
This session presents two industrial case studies where Quantica’s NovoJet™ inkjet printhead was evaluated as a direct replacement for dispensing. The first: sealing hydrogen fuel cell bipolar plate stacks with a UV-curing epoxy (Henkel Loctite, 13,000 mPa·s at ambient). The second: lamella bonding of e-motor stators and rotors using a thermally activated methacrylate (Kisling, 80 mPa·s). In both cases, existing certified formulations were used without modification.
Drop-on-demand jetting eliminates squeeze-out, reduces cycle time, and enables adhesive patterns impossible with a single dispensing nozzle. In e-motor manufacturing, precise patterning reduces eddy current losses, making the application method itself a lever for motor efficiency. In fuel cell manufacturing, controlled sealant placement ensures gas-tight performance across varied bipolar plate geometries.
The sustainability case is equally concrete: less material consumed, fewer cleaning steps, and a software-defined process that accommodates new product designs without new tooling, a critical advantage in a sector undergoing rapid design iteration.
Breakout III – Precision Application & Process Control – 16 September 2026 – 17:00 – 17:30 – Room Churchill – Ground Floor