Distribution Partnership Offers Office-Friendly Plastic, Metal Additive Technologies

Stratasys Ltd. (Minneapolis, Minnesota), a 3D printing and additive manufacturing supplier, and Desktop Metal (Burlington, Massachusetts) have announced an extension of their strategic partnership designed to accelerate accessibility and adoption of metal additive manufacturing. The new agreement includes distribution efforts and explores further go-to-market activities in the future.

The strategic partnership aims to leverage Stratasys’ expertise in polymer 3D printing and Desktop Metal’s metal 3D printing technologies to broaden the accessibility and adoption of metal 3D printing to a wider range of engineering teams. As a result of this partnership, customers will be able to work with Stratasys resellers who will begin representing Desktop Metal solutions, including the recently announced Studio System and the Production System, alongside Stratasys’ family of FDM and PolyJet solutions.

Expected to ship September 2017, Desktop Metal’s Studio System is marketed as the first office-friendly metal 3D printing solution, offering cost effectiveness for engineering teams. The system enables users to produce highly complex metal parts and assemblies with metal 3D printing without leaving the office, the company says.

Following the successful release of the Stratasys FDM-based F123 series, the companies believe customers will benefit from the complementary nature of both technologies, now with the enhanced ability to expedite product development cycles by producing both plastic and metal prototypes in an office-friendly environment.

“Today our offerings are used by customers worldwide, across automotive, aerospace, healthcare, education and consumer products, to achieve rapid prototyping, tooling and manufacturing processes,” says Ilan Levin, CEO of Stratasys. “As one of the early investors in Desktop Metal, we realize customers are seeking additional ways to incorporate metal into their essential design and manufacturing processes. Today’s announcement takes this commitment one step further, empowering global manufacturers and engineers to expedite product development cycles by producing both plastic and metal parts in office-friendly and production-based environments.”