Siemens Energy and Zeiss intend to establish a joint venture that will develop proprietary 3D printers for metal and plastics, as well as use them to produce parts for the concerns they come from. The new company will be a joint project of IQR (Industrial Quality and Research) belonging to the Zeiss optical group and the Munich-based Siemens Energy group, belonging to the Siemens group. The companies reported their intention to establish the company to the Federal Antimonopoly Office the day before last year’s Christmas Eve – December 23, 2021.
Siemens Energy is an energy company established as a specialized branch of the Siemens Group. While their main market is oil and gas, the company also has a majority stake in Siemens Gamesa, a Spanish producer of wind turbines and related services. Zeiss is a famous specialist in the field of optics and optoelectronics, founded in 1846. The company produces high-end optical systems, including binoculars, microscopes, VR devices, metrology devices and many more.
Although the news is quite surprising, it is not the first time large industrial companies have entered the industrial 3D printing market. Starting from GE, which took over the Swedish Arcam in 2016 and the German Concept Laser, through HP, which has been developing proprietary MJF 3D printers for several years, to Michelen, which in 2015 created its own metal 3D printing systems with Fives. under the name of Addup Solutions. We can also add Ricoh to the list, developing 3D printers of the SLS or Mimaki type, producing full-color 3D printers printing from light-curing resins.
Source: www.welt.de