Sandvik AB has announced the sale of its Additive Manufacturing business unit to Mimir, a Sweden-based global investment firm. The unit, which sits within Sandvik’s Machining business area, produces metal powders for additive manufacturing, metal injection molding, and hot isostatic pressing, along with controlled expansion alloys for niche industrial uses. The transaction is expected to wrap up in the third quarter of 2026, pending standard regulatory clearance.
The move follows what Sandvik describes as an ongoing evaluation of its business portfolio against criteria including market positioning, growth potential, and capital requirements. The conclusion: the AM unit would be better served under dedicated ownership than within a diversified industrial group.
“This divestment is intended to better position the Additive Manufacturing business for its next growth phase, and we believe the new owner will provide the platform and dedicated focus needed to further develop the business towards its full potential,” said Stefan Widing, President and CEO of Sandvik.
The financial impact of the deal is notable. Sandvik will record an impairment loss of approximately SEK 230 million, tied primarily to property, plant and equipment, classified as an item affecting comparability in Q2 results. Critically, this carries no cash impact, and the business has already been reclassified on the balance sheet as assets held for sale.
What Sandvik Keeps, and What Mimir Gains
Sandvik remains a dominant force in industrial technology, with roughly 42,000 employees and revenues approaching SEK 121 billion across more than 150 countries in 2025. Its core focus, machining, mining, rock excavation and processing, stays intact. The divestiture effectively sheds a unit that, while strategically adjacent, requires a level of focused investment and growth trajectory that a specialized owner may be better positioned to deliver.
For Mimir, the acquisition represents a ready-made entry into the metal powder supply chain, a segment that underpins multiple advanced manufacturing technologies. Whether the new owner accelerates commercialization or restructures the business for broader market reach remains to be seen, but the asset comes with established production capabilities and an existing industrial customer base.
Consolidation Is Reshaping Who Owns the AM Stack
Sandvik’s decision to exit its additive manufacturing materials unit reflects a broader strategic reckoning playing out across the industrial AM landscape. For years, large diversified manufacturers bet that vertical integration, owning the powders, the processes, and the platforms, would be a source of competitive advantage. That logic is now being tested against harder commercial realities.
Sandvik is not alone in this pivot: a private equity fund managed by Munich-based DUBAG Group acquired the entire Additive Manufacturing division of TRUMPF. That carved-out business has since launched its own identity, operating as ATLIX, and advanced from a machinery manufacturer into a full-spectrum provider of metal 3D printing solutions integrating development, production, automation, and system integration.
What makes Sandvik’s case instructive is that the Mimir deal is not a sudden pivot, it is the final chapter of a multi-year withdrawal. As recently as 2024, the company had already altered its additive manufacturing strategy, Sandvik exited its 30% minority stake in BEAMIT and divesting engineer-to-order business DWFritz Automation, narrowing its AM focus down to metal powders alone.
The reversal, from strategic priority to fully divested asset in under a decade, captures the speed at which the industrial AM landscape is forcing companies to choose between depth and breadth, and the cost of hesitating too long between the two.
3D Printing Industry is inviting speakers for its 2026 Additive Manufacturing Applications (AMA) series, covering Energy, Healthcare, Automotive and Mobility, Aerospace, Space and Defense, and Software. Each online event focuses on real production deployments, qualification, and supply chain integration. Practitioners interested in contributing can complete the call for speakers form here.
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Featured image shows An operator inspects advanced powder handling equipment at Sandvik’s production site. Photo via Additive Industries.
