3D Systems has established a reputation for acquiring companies and bringing them under their branding umbrella. And, through a number of strategic acquisitions, together with in-house R&D, they have steadily built up their 3D printing portfolio to cover every aspect of the 3D printing industry. Take the purchase of Phenix Systems French manufacturer of direct metal printing. Now that the acquisition is complete, they’ve already begun selling 3D Systems brand direct metal sintering machines.
ARC Group Worldwide, the world’s largest injection moulding firm, recently launched a 3D printing division, 3DMT. Though ARC Group has experience with 3D printing, in order to fulfill its destiny as a 3D printing manufacturer, 3DMT purchased three Direct Metal Sintering machines through 3D Systems reseller, EMS Inc. The newly named ProX DMS machines will give 3DMT the ability to 3D print in a variety of metals, as General Manager of 3DMT, Ashely Nichols points out, “The technology in the ProX machines is what attracted us to the 3D Systems equipment. In particular, the ability to make stainless steel, titanium, aluminium, and alumina with fine powders, high-quality surface finishes, and thin walls…”
History is written by the victors and it seems that we’re already beginning to forget that Phenix ever existed. Yesterday, I was directing someone to 3D printing-related companies based in or near Los Angeles and I remembered that the Sugar Lab, also acquired by 3DS, was located in Silver Lake, a neighborhood of LA. I went to the about page of the Sugar Lab website that I’d visited previously and found this:
The about page of Sugar Lab was gone, wiping out the tale of the two architects that founded it. When Danielle and I met them at CES, they assured me that being acquired by 3DS was the best thing that could have happened to them. 3D Systems had given them the resources to push Sugar Lab its most realized state, printing chocolate and candy. They now had the ability to achieve their dreams in full. But humanity, as a species bent on survival, has to tell itself that it’s happy in order to continue on. Or else it might as well give up and die. I wonder if, no matter what force subsumes you, you have to tell yourself that everything is okay. Let it rebrand you and sell your things and you smile all the while.
Source: 3D Systems
