Japanese optics and imaging multinational尼康has completed its takeover of German metal 3D printer manufacturerSLM Solutions。
Initially agreed last year, the deal has seen Nikon acquire a 100% stake in SLM Solutions at a price of €20.00 per share, and an overall total of €622 million. According to Nikon’s CEO, Toshikazu Umatate, the move will help the two companies provide “holistic solutions at an accelerated pace to customers in a variety of industries around the world.”
尼康首席执行官Toshikazu Umatate表示：“我们很高兴我们的交易成功取得了成功，我们期待与SLM合作。”“我们重视SLM在金属添加剂制造领域中的能力，我们期待增强和发展我们的数字制造业务，雷电竞充值我们有信心将导致全球群众生产的革命。”
SLM Solutions’ change in fortunes
Over the last four years or so, SLM Solutions’ has gone from a business that saw its revenue decline 31.7% year-on-year in FY 2019, to one thriving off growing demand in the aerospace and automotive sectors. In fact,SLM Solutions的第三季度2022财务showed that last year its revenue performance was its strongest to date, despite ongoing supply chain challenges.
So, how has the company turned things around so quickly? Since SLM Solutions CEO Sam O’Leary took the helm in January 2021, its sales have been buoyed by deals to supply aerospace stalwarts such asRolls Royce和theUS Air Force。
The firm’s turnaround has also coincided with the launch of itsNXG XII 600和NXG XII 600E雷电竞app下载3D打印机，前者已被采用Divergent Technologies, builder of the3D printed Czinger 21C hypercar。Now its takeover by Nikon has been wrapped up, O’Leary says he expects SLM Solutions’ customer base to grow even further, as it begins to tap into the markets of its parent company.
“Together with Nikon, we will further strengthen our leading position in integrated metal additive manufacturing through consistently raising the bar in this innovation-centric environment,” said O’Leary. “We have demonstrated the relevance of our technology to every major industry, and with Nikon we are confident we will expand our customer base even further.”
尼康是开发尖端的光电技术和精密设备方面的深厚专业知识，是SLM的理想合作伙伴。”
GE’s abandoned takeover bid
Until Nikon’s buyout, SLM Solutions had traded independently since it was founded in 2006, but that’s not to say it hasn’t been the subject of takeover speculation before. Back in 2016, it was not Nikon butGE lining up an SLM Solutions takeover bid。At the time,GE Additivevalued SLM Solutions at €38.00 per share or €900 million, significantly more than €20.00 per share it has now been sold for.
It’s thought that GE made a move for SLM Solutions because its early3D打印的Leap燃料喷嘴, which have since become a poster child for aerospace 3D printing, were built on SLM systems by Morris Technologies, a firm it acquired in 2012.
However, GE opted to walk away from its planned purchase when activist investor Elliott Advisors built up a 20% stake in the firm. Instead, as predicted by 3D Printing Industry,GE bought Concept Laser，此举使其能够垂直整合，并在内部进行航空3D打印活动，同时继续从销售其收购的粉末床融合系统中产生收入。
After GE’s interest in SLM Solutions waned, the firm’s share price dipped back to its previous level. Elliot Advisors would go on to provide SLM Solutions with €13 million of capital during 2019. By contrast, having wrapped up its takeover, Nikon has now committed to providing a 10% capital increase to the company, a cash injection of around €45.4 million.
尼康commits to metal 3D printing
尼康may be best known for its optical technology offering, but it has long held an interest in the 3D printing industry. The firm acquired optical instrument developer Metris in 2009, before striking up a collaboration with3D Engineering Solutionsin 2014, which saw the firms develop anew generation of metrology-grade CT scanners, capable of converting scans into 3D models and CAD files.
These scanners have since been deployed in the qualification of3D printed hip implants for Orthic Balto，以及Materialise’s Streamics software。但是，随着其下一代项目的启动，尼康在2019年换了齿轮，该计划已将其针对更高增长的业务，尤其是参与3D打印的计划。
In April 2021,尼康买金属3 d打印局Morf3D, and this was followed up with a takeover bid for SLM Solutions in September 2022.SLM Solutions then invested in Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies and Optisys, in deals which have provided it with access to hybrid and electronics 3D printing technologies, and manufacturing capabilities that are said to be ‘well-aligned’ with its own.
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特色图片显示SLM解决方案陈列室。通过SLM解决方案图像。
