3D printing news roundup: Oerlikon signs MoU with GE, Print The Future to file for IPO, more

Jun 21, 2017 | By Benedict

We’re at the halfway point in the week, and today is all about the business side of 3D printing: Oerlikon has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with GE, Print The Future says it will be filing for a Regulation A+ IPO with the SEC, and Additive Industries has news that will fuel your imagination.

Oerlikon and GE Additive sign MoU for additive manufacturing collaboration

Oerlikon, a leading global technology group headquartered in Switzerland, today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GE Additive to collaborate on accelerating the industrialization of additive manufacturing. The five-year deal will see GE supplying 3D printers to Oerlikon, with Oerlikon becoming a preferred AM component manufacturer and materials supplier to GE Additive and affiliates.

GE and Oerlikon will also collaborate on research and development in additive manufacturing machines and materials over the period of the agreement. The MoU was announced at the International Paris Air Show, and includes GE-affiliated companies Concept Laser and Arcam AB.

“Partnering with GE Additive, Concept Laser, and Arcam AB on innovative AM materials and machines will strengthen both companies' positions in additive manufacturing, and allows us to meet the growing demand for additive components, materials, and services in many industries,” commented Dr. Roland Fischer, CEO of the Oerlikon Group.

Print The Future to launch Regulation A+ Initial Public Offering

New York-based on-demand 3D printing company Print The Future says it will be filing for a Regulation A+ Initial Public Offering with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The company says it wants to give both accredited and non-accredited potential investors the opportunity to become a shareholder in “the most dynamic 3D printing company of our generation.”

Print The Future plans to offer two million shares of Print The Future common stock at $10.00 per share, with a minimum investment of 50 shares. Shares will be available for purchase through the Print The Future website.

"We are at the forefront of the 3D printing space and have an ambitious vision for the future of our company as well as the industry,” said Neil Patel, Founder & CEO of Print The Future. “What Starbucks is to coffee, Print The Future will be to 3D printing; synonymous with its product. The goal is to make 3D printing technology and design as experience-focused and expansive as the coffee chain.”

Print The Future describes itself as “the world's leading omni-channel brand experience that enables anyone to 3D print ideas on demand.” The company plans to open 200 stores worldwide.

Additive Industries partners with Sauber F1 team

Additive Industries, a 3D printing company based in the Netherlands, today announced that it has partnered with the Sauber F1 team, a Swiss Formula One team founded in the 1970s by motorsport executive Peter Sauber. The three-year partnership will see Additive Industries support the Sauber additive manufacturing team in ramping up its capacity and overcoming a steep learning curve as it attempts to 3D print parts for Sauber F1 race cars as well as third-party applications.

The announcement was made at the Rapid.Tech conference in Erfurt, Germany, where the two partners launched two MetalFAB1 Process & Application Development Tools that will purportedly be upgraded later to full-size integrated multi-material MetalFAB1 systems for series production.

“The professionalism of the Sauber F1 Team—as well as their drive for technological innovation, they own one of the most advanced automotive wind tunnels in the world—fits beautifully with our quest for industrial excellence,” Additive Industries commented.

Worldwide 3D printer shipments up again in 2016

The IDC Worldwide 3D Printer Shipment Tracker has found that 3D printer shipments increased 29 percent in 2016 while revenue grew by more than 18 percent year over year in 2016. The fastest-growing technology segments were FDM and Stereolithography, which each grew shipments by nearly 30 percent in 2016 versus 2015. In revenue terms, powder-bed fusion-based 3D printers grew by nearly 40 percent from 2015 to 2016.

The tracker showed that the strongest growth in 3D printer shipments came from the Asia/Pacific region (excluding Japan), Central & Eastern Europe, and the Middle East & Africa. Shipments in the Asia/Pacific region surged in 2016, making it the largest 3D printer region in the world in 2016. 3D printer shipments in North America recovered in the second half of 2016, but were still down for the year.

Other notable statistics include the discovery that Chinese manufacturers like Flashforge, XYZ Printing, and Tiertime, companies selling low-end FFF/FDM printers, make up more than 30 percent of shipments but less than 5 percent of worldwide hardware revenue. Stratasys and 3D Systems make up just over 6 percent of worldwide shipments, but over 30 percent of total hardware revenue in 2016.

“The 3D printing market surge continues on a worldwide basis with more technology and materials options, which are driving more investment in 3D printers and greater utilization of the equipment that has been installed,” said Tim Greene, research director, Hardcopy Solutions at IDC. “We're seeing exciting growth in some of the key technology segments, with FFF/FDM, SLA, and Powder-bed Fusion all growing at double-digit rates year over year.”

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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