US-based high-speed resin 3D printer maker Nexa3D has completed the acquisition of the SLS business of Taiwanese 3D printer maker XYZ Printing for an undisclosed fee.
As part of the deal, Nexa3D will acquire all of XYZ’s technology, distribution and service offerings, including XYZ’s popular MfgPro230 xS and MfgPro236 xS printers in their growing powder bed product portfolio.
Announcing the deal on their website, Nexa3D claimed that “Over the past five years, XYZ printing technology has been successfully adopted by a wide range of customers, building a reputation for high-performance, high-speed printing with exceptional reliability.”
What’s more, Oskar Klassen, CEO of nylon 3D printing service provider JawsTec, commented that “Our XYZ SLS machines offer something others don’t, the ability to use spent powder from our EOS and HP MJF machines to high quality SLS parts.” We therefore hope that this acquisition will further expand affordable access to SLS printing technology to Nexa3D’s combined customer base.
How this SLS technology benefits Nexa3D
The MfgPro230 xS and MfgPro236 xS printers acquired by Nexa3D in this deal can produce components that possess robust mechanical and thermal properties. Indeed, both systems are compatible with a wide range of nylon powders and use an open material platform, making them ideal for high temperature applications. What’s more, both machines work with a range of materials including PA11, PA12, PBT and also TPU88 and TPU75. Both printers’ compatibility with titanium and steel cold-alloy metal materials further adds to their versatility.
In particular, the MfgPro230 was highlighted by Nexa3D as the “platform of choice” for manufacturing 3D printed components with strong and durable properties. This sentiment is echoed by Klassen, who praises the 230’s operational robustness and “a 22-hour build cycle that requires only a 2-hour cooling cycle with zero negative effect on detail accuracy or surface quality.” The model boasts and with a 30-watt laser and a 24-hour cycle rate, which Nexa says makes it “the best entry-level thermoplastic part printer” on the market.
Similarly, the MfgPro236 offers a 21-hour cycle rate, a 60-watt laser, and 0.2mm accuracy. Capable of producing 3D printed parts that possess robust, mechanical and thermal properties, this SLS system also includes an affordable open powder portfolio. So much so that as part of the announcement, Nexa bills the 236 as “the best value for professional users looking for an affordable yet powerful selective laser sintering solution.”
Nexa3D’s growing AM portfolio
This acquisition marks the latest additions to Nexa3D’s growing portfolio of 3D printers. Nexa has certainly built a range of AM machines over the past few years, with the company’s flagship NXE400 offering industrial 3D resin printing capabilities with a substantial 17L volume. Nexa also recently added a new ultra-fast high-volume quantum laser sintering platform, the QLS 820, to its portfolio. Unveiled at last year’s IMTS 2022 trade show, the 820 has a print speed of 8 liters per hour and up to 20% package density, with Nexa calling it “the fastest SLS 3D printer in the industry.”
The launch of the QLS 820 follows the 2021 introduction of the company’s first desktop 3D printer, the XiP. Based on the company’s patented Lubricant Sublayer Photocurve (LSPc) technology, the XiP system is designed to combine high performance with a small footprint for production-grade applications in automotive, medical, engineering machinery and aerospace. “XiP will enable a wide range of users to create at the speed of thought – turning ideas into products faster,” said Nexa3D co-founder and CEO Avi Reichenthal.
Recent acquisitions in the AM industry
Nexa’s purchase of XYZ’s SLS portfolio reflects a broader trend of investments and acquisitions within additive manufacturing. For example, earlier this month, private equity firm CORE Industrial Partners completed the acquisition of on-demand manufacturing services provider Phoenix Proto Technologies, adding established injection molding and CNC machining services to its repertoire.
This deal marks CORE’s latest move to expand its AM portfolio, with the company investing $700 million in lower mid-market manufacturing, industrial technology and industrial services businesses in the United States. Indeed, following the purchase of AM services specialist FATHOM in 2019, the investment firm outlined its ambition to build one of the “largest global additive manufacturing companies”.
Elsewhere, Israeli 3D electronic printer maker Nano Dimension recently launched an unsuccessful bid to acquire leading 3D printer maker Stratasys for $1.1 billion. The unsolicited takeover bid was unanimously rejected by the Stratasys Board of Directors, who believed the offer of $18.00 per share in cash was a significant undervaluation of the company. Nano has already increased its offer to $19.55 per share for Stratasys.
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The image shown shows the MfgPro236 xS 3D printer. Image via XYZprinting.