Colorado-headquartered additive manufacturing material developer Elementum 3D has received an investment from Sumitomo Corporation of Americas (SCOA), the U.S. branch of global trading firm Sumitomo Corporation.
Using the investment, Elementum will work towards expanding the marketing and sales of its proprietary metal powder, which incorporates ceramics to enable improved additive manufacturing performance. Further details regarding the deal were not disclosed.
“We are excited to have Sumitomo Corporation of Americas come on board as an investor. It speaks volumes that a company of this size and reach has such confidence in what we are creating,” comments Dr. Jacob Nuechterlein, President at Elementum 3D, Inc.
“With this series A funding, we are eager to get our product further out into the marketplace and continue to grow our client base.”
Reactive Additive Manufacturing
Elementum 3D, formerly known as Sinter Print, is an additive manufacturing research and development firm focusing on the creation of advanced metals, composites, and ceramics.
The company produces its materials using a patented technology termed reactive additive manufacturing (RAM), which helps to prevent cracking during the solidification process. Its RAM process has allowed Elementum to develop additive manufacturing powders for materials that are usually difficult to print with on Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) platforms.
For example, the company partnered with North Carolina-based hybrid manufacturing company Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing (KAM) to supply the company with advanced materials such as its A6061- RAM2 powder. The powder is said to be comparable to wrought 6061-T6 aluminum properties, a material that often faces difficulties when processed with additive manufacturing. As well as aluminum, Elementum has developed grades for tungsten, copper, steel MMC, nickel MMC, and tantalum.
Elementum has also developed a patented composite metal powder, blended with ceramics, which reportedly enables faster printing speed, improved mechanical properties and a wider usage of metal grades in additive manufacturing.
Sumitomo Corporation of Americas investment in 3D printing
SCOA is a global investment and trading company operating in numerous industries and markets, mainly revolving around metal products, transportation and construction, infrastructure, media, real estate, and energy. SCOA’s parent company, Sumitomo Corporation, is one of the largest worldwide Japanese general trading companies.
SCOA believes that Elementum’s powder technology can potentially be utilized across several of the company’s business verticals, including steel, mineral resources, aerospace and tubular. Additionally, the company has also identified the potential for Elementum’s technology to “disrupt the current supply chain,” as it sees end-users in additive manufacturing working directly with Elementum rather than traditional raw materials manufacturers.
SCOA’s investment in Elementum is not its first within the 3D printing industry. The company had previously invested in Florida-based metal 3D printing service Sintavia in 2018. With the investment, SCOA sought to influence its network in the aerospace and oil & gas industries globally, while advancing Sintavia’s declared growth plans around the world. Additionally, SCOA has made investments in AREVO, a Silicon Valley company dedicated to direct digital additive manufacturing of composite materials, and New York-headquartered 3D printing marketplace and service bureau Shapeways.
“This investment is an excellent complement to our growing portfolio in the additive manufacturing space,” explains Mr. Kazuaki Tsuda, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Steel and Non-Ferrous Metal Group at Sumitomo Corporation of Americas. “Elementum is pioneering new intelligence related to the raw materials supply chain in additive manufacturing, and we see an abundant opportunity for these applications in the near future.”
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Featured image shows Elementum 3D logo. Photo via Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing.
