Desktop Metal has received a $9 million order from a “leading German automaker” for binder jetting metal 3D printers to be used in the mass production of powertrain components. This is the second order from the same automaker in less than 12 months after the same company placed a $7.9 million order in mid-December last year.
An unnamed company is to use new Binder Jetting 3D printers to mass-produce metal parts for automotive powertrains. Desktop Metal already serves several global automotive brands, such as BMW, Renault, Continental and Ford, many of which use 3D printing technology to produce final automotive components. At the same time, it is worth mentioning that among the main investors of Desktop Metal is the aforementioned BMW, which purchased shares through its BMW iVentures investment fund. Thus, it is not known whether this manufacturer is a returning customer, but it would make sense considering that other German car manufacturers use competing technologies – the Volkswagen Group with HP 3D printers, and Daimler Benz (Mercedes) with laser technologies (SLM and PBF).
In addition to this order, Desktop Metal recently entered into a three-year, multimillion-dollar contract with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to develop, test and manufacture various 3D printed medical products from the revolutionary new FreeFoam material. It is a new family of light-curing resins that produces durable and dimensionally accurate closed-cell foam parts, providing unprecedented benefits for the automotive, home furnishings, footwear and sporting goods, and medical applications. FreeFoam resin can only be printed on the DLP system – ETEC Xtreme 8K by Desktop Metal.
Source: www.desktopmetal.com