US-based manufacturer of industrial 3D printers ExOne is continuing to expand across Europe. After purchasing MWT in Germany, partnering with a Czech distributor, and launching their products on the Iberian peninsula, the company has officially opened a European headquarters in Gersthofen, Germany in the district of Augsburg.
Previously, ExOne’s European activities were spread out among five different facilities in Augsburg. To consolidate their operations under one roof, the company’s large S. Kent Rockwell 3D Printing Innovation Center – named for its CEO and Chairman, Kent Rockwell – uses about 150,700 square feet as a production, warehouse, service, and R&D facility, while 27,600 square feet are dedicated to housing the European HQ’s offices. Construction on the $20 million facility began in October of last year, performed by European construction firm GOLDBECK Süd GmbH. With their new facility, the company will continue the production of its industrial 3D printing systems, which include sand, glass, and metal 3D printers.
ExOne’s Chief Development Officer and General Manager of ExOne GmbH, Rainer Hoechsmann, said of the news, “We are beginning to transition our activities, which include production, warehousing, a production service center, an R&D lab, as well as our European headquarters into our new location, and we expect to have completed our move through November. We are proud to dedicate our state of the art facility as the ‘S. Kent Rockwell 3D Printing Innovation Center’ in honor of the leadership and significant financial support that Kent Rockwell has made in ExOne and its innovations in 3D binder jetting technology.”
The company’s new European hub is indicative of the overall growth of the industrial 3D printing market, as we witness multiple industrial manufacturers continuously launching new facilities in countries foreign to their base of operations all over the world. Just last week, the UK’s only make of metal 3D printing systems, Renishaw, opened a manufacturing center in India as German-based Concept Laser and voxeljet begin their own expansions to the United States. At the same, 3D Systems is continuing to grow with new centers at home, in the US, while GE opens its additive manufacturing center, as well. For lack of better words, the 3D printing industry is booming!
