Metal 3D printing service provider 3DEO has announced the inking of a strategic partnership and investment from IHI AEROSPACE Co., Ltd. (IA).
The collaboration between the Los Angeles-based additive manufacturing (AM) company and Japanese aerospace engineering firm is said to ‘enhance the adoption and implementation of AM technologies.’
“We are deeply honoured to partner with IA, a company that shares our vision for the future of aerospace manufacturing,” Matt Petros, CEO and Co-founder of 3DEO, commented. “This partnership underscores the incredible progress and potential of additive manufacturing, especially when coupled with a highly collaborative design for additive approach.”
The news follows the announcement of the Development Bank of Japan and Seiko Epson Corporation’s investment in 3DEO back in January, which aims to support the company’s growth strategies in North America and Japan, including 3D printing applications in industrial and aerospace markets. 3DEO says this latest investment ‘signifies a significant commitment to integrating the advanced capabilities of additive manufacturing with the precision and tradition of Japan’s aerospace manufacturing sector.’ At this year’s TCT Japan event, evidence of the Japanese market pushing beyond the AM hype and into manufacturing was starting to materialise via a range of aerospace and automotive end-use applications seen on the show floor.
Payman Torabi, CTO and Co-founder of 3DEO, added, “Working alongside IA presents an exceptional opportunity to apply our additive manufacturing technologies to the aerospace sector. It’s a collaboration that stands to reduce time-to-market and drive innovation.”
IA specialises in the development and production of propulsion systems, components for space exploration, and advanced aerospace materials. By bringing together 3DEO’s patented Intelligent Layering metal AM technology and IA’s engineering capabilities, the companies believe they can ‘make a lasting impact’ on the aerospace sector.
3DEO’s 3D printing service its based on its patented Intelligent Layering metal AM technology and DfAM service, and is designed to scale printing from prototypes to high-volume. In 2022, the company took home the TCT Award for Consumer Product for its first mass market offering, a double-edged safety razor manufactured with metal 3D printing.
