US 3D printer manufacturer 3D Systems has announced two acquisitions, through which it stands to significantly enhance its extrusion additive manufacturing capabilities. In buying medical-grade 3D printing specialist Kumovis, 3D Systems believes it will now be able “Expand its addressable market” within personalized healthcare. “As the leading additive manufacturing solutions partner across industrial and healthcare markets, 3D Systems is committed to meeting the widest possible range of our customers’ AM production needs,” said Dr. Jeffrey Graves, President and CEO of 3D Systems. Moving further into industrial FFF. 3D Systems’ Titan Robotics acquisition is significant, in that the move sees it buy a leading developer of hybrid configuration systems, which can be set up for both pellet and filament extrusion, with a flagship Atlas HS 3D printer that also has subtractive finishing capabilities made possible by its spindle toolhead, making it a ‘hybrid’ in more than one sense of the word. “Thanks to the scalability of its Atlas systems, which feature build volumes up to 50″ x 50″ x 72” in size, the company has long-hailed their large-format sand-casting, as well as their tooling, jig, and fixture production potential, and through acquiring the technology behind them, 3D Systems believes it will now be able to expand its reach into new markets around the world. For his part, Titan Robotics’ CEO Rahul Kasat says that both he and the rest of the firm’s leadership are “Thrilled to become part of a world-class organization” like 3D Systems, and they are “Excited by the synergies” between the two companies’ technologies, which could enable them to “Expand the adoption of industrial 3D printing” into new areas. What’s clear, is that with its newest acquisitions, 3D Systems appears to be moving further into the FFF space just as Stratasys has diversified its portfolio into SLA, via moves that could see them become more direct competitors in the years to come.

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