BASF New Business (BNB) GmbH has just acquired two material manufacturers in Europe. Both companies operate in the SLS materials field within additive manufacturing. The companies in question, Advanc3D Materials (in Hamburg) and Setup Performance SAS (in Lyon), will both be part of the existing BASF subsidiary, BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH (B3DPS). As BASF acquires new these new companies, it appears they are moving towards SLS while integrating with material suppliers.
The tech industry, and particularly 3D printing, are always brimming with acquisitions and mergers. It’s a natural part of any technology’s life cycle. As a tech gains more applications and demand, companies start to take notice and acquire smaller manufacturers. It’s a wise choice to form a fully integrated branch that operates with 3D printing materials on multiple levels.
“We are looking forward to being part of BASF. This will enable us to expand and further develop new formulations for the industrial additive manufacturing activities of our customers all over the world,” said François Minec, Managing Director of Advanc3D.
SLS Materials Acquisition
“Following our acquisition of Innofil3D last year and the consequent strengthening of our market presence in plastic filaments for layer extrusion we are now in similar fashion expanding our market access in the area of powder bed fusion. The portfolio complements our existing range, being perfectly suited to products such as polyamide 11, polyamide 12 and polypropylene,” says Dr. Dietmar Bender, Vice President Manufacturing & Technology at BNB.
Advanced3D was already a prominent materials producer, offering a vast product portfolio and applications expertise. Similarly, Setup Performance was already in a partnership with Advance3D, providing production assistance from its Lyon facility. Naturally, acquiring and putting them both together under a singular entity seemed like an obvious move.
In April, B3DPS introduced a new PA6 material for selective laser sintering. It has a lot of applicability because most SLS machines are capable of using it. As a major chemical company is shifting towards 3D printing materials production, it’s probably a sign that the market is about to expand further.