Monday, December 31, 2012

Stratasys as the Leader in the 3D Printing Industry (SSYS; DDD)

There is some European stuff, particularly in additive manufacturing but also in bioprinting, that SSYS will have to keep an eye on if they intend to be top dog.
From Singularity Hub 18Dec12:

After Merger, 3D Printing Industry Has A New Leader

‘Join and conquer’ – this seems to be the strategy behind a recent move by the world’s (formerly) second and third largest 3D printing companies. Stratasys, based in Minnesota, and Objet, based in Rehovot, Israel, have combined to become the new king of the 3D printing mountain, and in doing so, have emerged from beneath 3D Systems’ shadow.

The merger follows on the heals of aggressive moves made by 3D printing giant, 3D Systems, to consolidate the market. After a torrent of 24 acquisitions in just two years, 3D Systems stood as the clear industry leader. But after the merger the new company – now just Stratasys – has a market capitalization of approximately $3 billion, making it the largest 3D printing company in the world, surpassing 3D Systems’ market capitalization of $2.4 billion.

The new and improved Stratasys has three major technologies: Fused Deposit Modeling (FDM) for quick and cheap prototype design, inkjet-based PolyJet for prototypes that require higher-level of detail and a finer surface finish, and Solidscape Drop-on-Demand (“DoD”) 3D wax printers for investment casting. The company now stands alone in being able to manufacture objects out of more than 120 different materials.
According to Scott Crump, executive chairman of Stratasys, the merger enables the company to “address customer needs across the entire 3D design and manufacturing spectrum. The combined company has a deep well of talent and a strong board and management team to lead us successfully as we continue to pave the way forward for the 3D printing industry.”...MORE
The other thing to watch for is manufacturers developing expertise in-house:
GE Aviation invests in additive manufacturing with acquisition