Xerox ends its 3D printing adventure by selling Elem Additive Solutions to ADDiTEC

Xerox’s adventure with 3D printing has just ended. One of the largest companies in the world of printers and copiers, has announced the sale of its subsidiary – Elem Additive Solutions, which produces 3D printers for metal, to ADDiTEC. Thus, Xerox followed in the footsteps of its competition – Canon, which decided to take a similar step at the turn of 2018 and 2019.

Xerox officially announced its intention to enter the 3D printing industry in the fall of 2018. This came true less than four months later, when the company acquired Vader Systems – a startup that created a patented liquid metal 3D printing technology, consisting in heating and ejecting drops from the head using a field electromagnetic. In February 2021, Xerox presented its own version of the 3D printer called ElemX, as well as the implementation of its first copy at the US Navy Postgraduate School (NPS). And that’s all… Unlike HP, Mimaki or Ricoh, which are successively strengthening their position on the market of additive technologies, Xerox did not boast of anything else. Most likely because he didn’t have much…?

In October last year, the operating activities of Elem Additive Solutions – a special purpose vehicle created by Xerox on the foundations of Vader Systems – were drastically reduced. Xerox focused solely on supporting the already installed ElemX 3D printers, but stopped all development and sales of new machines. He also laid off most of the Elem Additive team. And although it was not announced anywhere – Xerox began to look for someone who would be willing to free him from all this.

This someone turned out to be ADDiTEC, which produces and supplies 3D printers operating in Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology, i.e. 3D printing from metals in the form of wires or rods. ADDiTEC will take over the surviving Elem Additive team and restart the production and sale of ElemX 3D printers. It will also support existing customers – the US Navy, US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Siemens, Vertex Manufacturing and Rochester Institute of Technology. The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Xerox itself – like Canon a few years ago, decided to focus on the development of its natural products and services in the field of printing, IT and digital solutions. In addition to the sale of the company from the 3D printing sector, the company also got rid of the PARC research and development company to SRI International and the Xerox Canadian Research Center to Myant Capital Partners.

Source: www.news.xerox.com
Photo: www.additec3d.com