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March was another busy business month for 3D printing, with the industry’s IPO trend continuing apace and some of its biggest firms beginning to report financial recoveries, while those using the technology in the clinical and construction sectors also harnessed rising client interest, to turn R&D projects into commercial ventures.
Read on for March’s headline news from the likes of SLM Solutions, Velo3D, ExOne, Stratasys, Rocket Lab, ICON, CELLINK, CollPlant, 3D Systems, Mighty Buildings, ROKIT Healthcare and more.
Green shoots of recovery?
Although the pandemic continued to force many 3D printing adopters to tighten their spending during March 2021, there were early signs that this was starting to ease. In the26th annual Wohlers Report, for instance, it was found that the sector had actually grown by 7.5% to nearly $12.8 billion from 2019 to 2020, despite COVID-19’s impact on the equipment sales of more established manufacturers.
This revenue recovery was also reflected in the financials of many leading 3D printing firms, as they began to publish their Q4 2020 results during the month. With年增长11％for FY 2020,ExOnewas one such manufacturer, and the company teamed its rosy figures with the announcement that it had achieved a breakthrough withFordthat month, in the creation of lightweight aluminum parts.
“Developing a fast, affordable, and easy way to 3D print aluminum with traditional material properties is a critical step toward light-weighting,” John Hartner, CEO of ExOne explained at the time. “Our world-class engineers and scientists are focused on solving the toughest problems with 3D printing technology, and this achievement is a real win for all of us.”
Having been forced into astrategic refocusby the impact of COVID-19 in Q2 2020,3D系统通过报告其first revenue rise since 2018. Following its restructuring, the firm sought to drive greater value from its industrial and healthcare arms, and this strategy proved wise, with its income rising 8% inQ1 financial forecastslater in the year.
Likewise, metal 3D printer manufacturerSLM Solutions’s 26% increase收入在FY 2020, provided it with reason for optimism heading into the new financial year. According to the firm’s CEO Sam O’Leary, it not only surpassed its previously-stated annual growth guidance during Q4 2020, but managed to gain significant traction with its newly-launchedNXG XII 6003D printer.
“Despite the difficult COVID-19-related business environment, we made tremendous progress in innovation and with key customers, adopting our technology on a larger scale,” O’Leary said back in March. “We launched our industry-defining new machine platform, the NXG XII 600, in November 2020, [and the] initial customer feedback we received has been overwhelming.”
3D printing’s IPO trend ramps up
In tandem with 3D printing’s recovering profitability, investor interest also grew across the industry during early-2021, with many firms seeking to capitalize on this trend by going public for the first time. During March, service bureau3D Metalforgeconducted its IPOto become listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, in a deal that saw it raise (AUD) $10 million towards its U.S. and Australian expansion.
Similarly, in the medical sector, reports began to emerge that 3D bioprinter manufacturerRokit Healthcare正在准备IPO也是。当时，人们认为这一举动可以帮助增强公司的国际品牌敞口，同时吸引投资以持续发展其专有4D生物打印技术。
By contrast,Velo3D和Rocket Lab还确认他们打算在三月份上市，但选择与特殊目的采购公司（SPAC）合并而不是通过常规IPO进行合并。尽管Rocket Lab raised over $750 millionin funding from its deal,demand for Velo3D shares fell shortof expectations, as its move generated $274 million, well short of its initial $500 million target.
Despite this, the firm’s Founder and CEO Benny Buller said after its IPO that he was “proud such visionary partners continued to trust Velo3D to build products through methods that were previously impossible,” and “with [SPAC partner] JAWS Spitfire’s long-term partnership, he expected the firm to extend the reach of its technology.”
生物打印投资繁荣
Elsewhere, 3D bioprinting technologies also benefited from a stellar month of investment, with the likes of early market leaderCELLINKseeking to build on their portfolios. In order to expand on its in-vitro cell culturing expertise, the company购买了Mattek Corporation以6800万美元的方式，为了预料到这一点，可能会导致新型无动物残酷的细胞测试模型的发展。
Over in Israel,CollPlantrevealed that it too was reaping the benefits of increased interest in 3D bioprinting, in the form of acontract worth up to $103 million从Allergan美学. As part of the agreement, theAbbviesubsidiary gained the right to use CollPlant’s artificial collagen protein as a basis for developing dermal and soft tissue fillers, as well as for two further potential products in future.
从更具实验性的层面上，3D生物打印也在2021年的过程中突飞猛进，三月在今年的杰出研究项目中出现了之一Munich University of Applied Sciences. By firing an ultrashort Near Infrared (NIR) laser into a hydrogel just underneath a layer of cells, the team there found they were able to create单细胞分辨率簇with 99% viability.
With further R&D, the Germany-based scientists said it could be possible to combine their process with two‐photon stereolithography (2PP), to enable the creation of organ-on-a-chip devices or even functional human tissue substitutes.
AM Ventures’ €100M shot-in-the-arm
当行业的沉重击球手重新站起来时AM Venturesalso did its bit to help boost innovation at the other end of the 3D printing industry, by unveiling a1亿欧元的初创基金. Backed by the firm’s majority shareholders andEOSowners the Langer family, as well as serial investorKGAL, the pot will be used to support the growth of the sector’s newest, brightest firms from 2022.
“After six years of successfully investing in AM-based start-up companies, we decided to jointly take our business to the next level,” said the fund’s Founding Partner Dr. Hans Langer. “This step is a massive opportunity for all AM start-ups around the world, and will help to further accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing.”
Stratasys unveils ‘SAF’ technology
在技术创新方面Stratasys’introduction of itsSelective Absorption Fusion(SAF) process and H Series Production Platform was one of the highlights of the month. Developed initially by inkjet specialistXaar 3D, the novel approach to binder jetting is said to yield consistent-quality parts at extremely high throughputs, especially when deployed within tooling applications.
Following the roll-out of its first SAF-powered platform, the H350 3D printer, Stratasys went on totake full control of Xaar 3D，此前持有该公司45％的股份。在此过程中，Stratasys有效地获得了该技术的独家权利，并确保了其H系列系统的未来，该系统现已安装在Beta站点，并有望在2022年春季商业推出。
The firm’s CEO Yoav Zeif said at the time he was “excited to welcome the outstanding team of innovators from Xaar 3D to the Stratasys family,” and that customers were already telling him how SAF technology’s “consistent performance at higher volumes was helping them grow their businesses and provide them a significant competitive advantage.”
Concrete AM commercializes
而3 d打印已经部署在experimental construction applications for some time now, March also saw the technology’s leading advocates set out to address the commercial market for the first time. During the month, Texan firmICON做出大胆的决定list its first US 3D printed homes, built as part of ‘东17街,’ on the housing market there, with prices said to start at $450,000.
不久之后，Mighty Buildings跟随，揭开计划3D print fifteen eco-friendly homes和market them for prices ranging from $595,000 for single houses, to $950,000 for dual properties. Designed to be powered entirely by solar energy, each home in the development was expected to feature textured exterior stone walls, floor-to-ceiling windows and 1,450 sq. feet of living space.
Mighty Buildings的首席运营官Alexey Dubov谈到该开发项目时说：“我们很高兴推出3D印刷的可持续房屋的首次开发。”“这将是我们对住房未来的愿景的第一个实地实现 - 能够迅速，负担得起，可持续地部署，并能够以积极的动态来增强周围的社区。”
A right of repair revolution?
Last but not least, a significant改变欧盟修复法律权利happened in March, that saw the manufacturers of white goods become legally required to make product spares available to consumers for up to ten years. Although the reforms didn’t affect all domestic appliances, and phones and laptops were noticeably excluded from the changes, many in 3D printing saw it as an opportunity for inventory digitization.
EOS Additive Manufacturing Consultant Nicolas Dill told 3D Printing Industry the changes would “drive the demand for 3D printed spare parts,” while also forecasting that “B2C service platforms will emerge, granting the consumer a ‘right to download and produce’ a certain file for a small fee.”
备件3D的销售副总裁Christian Darquier表示同意：“这是非常积极的；现在，家用电器公司需要采用一种更系统的方法来真正利用添加剂制造的价值，并将AM视为备件的系统选择。雷电竞充值整个行业提供的技术AM解决方案可以解决家庭设备零件的限制。”
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Featured image shows a line of ExOne 3D printers installed by one of its clients in North America. Photo via ExOne.
