3D Systems has announced two acquisitions today as it bolsters its growth ambitions within the medical and industrial additive manufacturing markets.
Following plans unveiled earlier this week to expand its site in Denver, Colorado to address those same application areas, the 3D printing pioneer has acquired Allevi, a Philadelphia-based developer of bioprinting solutions, in a bid to expand its regenerative medicine initiative. Allevi’s technology is already used in more than 380 labs around the world and 3D Systems plans to leverage that expertise to further develop laboratory applications and, in the long-term, enable the development of human organs. The acquisition builds on the company's efforts to “significantly expand” developments in regenerative medicine and bioprinting, emphasised back in January in an ongoing partnership with United Therapeutics’ organ manufacturing and transplantation-oriented subsidiary Lung Biotechnology PBC.
On the industrial side, the company has also signed an agreement to acquire German software firm Additive Works GmbH to expand its simulation capabilities for industrial-scale 3D printing. Additive Works delivers print preparation and workflow automation by providing optimum part orientation, support structures, thermal management simulation and distortion compensation for more efficient manufacturing processes and better parts. Additive Works can be integrated into leading CAD systems as well as 3D Systems’ 3DXpert. 3D Systems believes this additional simulation capability will help drive AM adoption across both industrial and healthcare markets.