Jul 5, 2016 | By Alec
HP Inc. President and CEO Dion Weisler. Photo: Associated Press
It seems like HP CEO Dion Weisler was very serious when he revealed that HP is shifting its focus towards 3D printing. HP Inc. – the legal successor to Hewlett-Packard – has been flexing its financial muscles in the 3D printing scene over the last few months, and the company just revealed that they have acquired David Vision Systems and David 3D Solutions. Through this new acquisition, they revealed, HP is aiming to strengthen its ability to provide the world’s only end-to-end 3D ecosystem, involving everything from 3D scanning to imaging and 3D printing.
What’s more, this isn’t the first step in that direction. Less than two months ago, the company created a lot of buzz in the 3D printing world by unveiling the HP Jet Fusion 3D Printer. Up to ten times faster than competing machines and capable of cutting down production costs by up to 50 percent, the Jet Fusion 3D Printer could have the power to change industrial 3D printing as we know it. What’s more, HP has begun working with French chemical specialist Arkema to increase the range of industrial 3D printing materials, and just a two weeks ago HP revealed plans to invest €60 million a year into a 3D printing R&D center in Spain.
HP is thus working hard to find its own place in the 3D printing industry, and these latest acquisitions will doubtlessly contribute to that process. Related German companies David Vision Systems and David 3D Solutions are market leaders when it comes to 3D scanning technologies, with the former having successfully marketed the DAVIS SLS-3 Structured Light 3D Scanner (below). Among others, they played an essential role in the development of HP’s Sprout 3D scanning and 3D printing platform.
As HP revealed, they have acquired the companies’ innovative 3D hardware and software assets, providing them with the necessary technology to evolve Sprout and advance their presence in the Immersive Computing, 3D printing and 3D scanning markets (the latter being worth $7 billion). “Adding the David companies’ technology and capability strengthens our ability to create the world’s only end-to-end 3D ecosystem, from creation, to 3D on-ramp, to 3D print off-ramp via HP’s Jet Fusion Solution,” said Louis Kim, Global Head & General Manager of Immersive Computing at HP. “The acquisition adds a robust, stable and production-ready solution, along with a rich software development platform to HP’s portfolio of technologies.”
Specifically, they were attracted by David’s prominent 3D scanning, stitching and fusing solutions, which provide avenues for radically improving 3D scanning quality. David has also developed scan algorithms and automated calibration methods which will contribute a lot to HP’s 3D platforms. “This is an essential ingredient to seamlessly blend the physical and virtual worlds, and a core value proposition of Sprout, through which HP will reach a broad range of industry segments, including education, healthcare, design and research,” Kim said.
So what will happen now? HP will start to build on David’s proven 3D scanning system, and will use it to evolve their Sprout 3D Capture and its entire 3D ecosystem. This should help to accelerate HP’s plans to provide an integral 3D scanning and 3D printing platform. “[It] paves the way for David’s preeminent 3D scanning solutions to serve as an onramp component for 3D printing,” Kim adds. As part of the acquisition, the David team and all their 3D experience has also joined the HP team. The exact terms of the transaction have not been disclosed, but one thing seems clear: HP is becoming a 3D printing force to be reckoned with.
Posted in 3D Scanning
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