Manufacturing Today - May/June 2017 - 39
ARCAM AB has three legs of business that provide the company with a sturdy foundation and set it apart from other additive manufacturing machine producers. "The systems, supply of powder and the people expertise of DTI separate us from others in the industry," Bradshaw says. Beyond adding to the Arcam family, the company continues to invest in its existing businesses. In 2015, Arcam opened a new 5,500-squarefoot facility for sales and service in Woburn, Mass., just north of Boston. The location provides sales, support, spare parts and consumables to the Swedish company's growing client base in North America, in addition to housing an application and training center where customers can come to learn how to use Arcam products. Arcam has similar offices in the UK, Italy, China and Germany. Even as additive manufacturing moves from buzzword to a necessity for modern manufacturers, people's unfamiliarity with the process posses a challenge for machine makers such as Arcam. Bradshaw believes there is hesitancy among some companies to switch to additive manufac- the acquisition of ap&c gave arcam access to specialized powders at a lower cost to better serve customers. MAY/JUNE 2017 manufacturing-today.com rapid Educating Industry turing because they are still learning about the process. Organizations that set production standards, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, have not yet caught up to the technology. Requirements often don't take into account the unique processes of additive versus conventional manufacturing. That can lead to longer approval times for products from regulators that are being overly cautious because of their lack of experience with the new technology. "The standards committees are getting better certainly but need to change their thoughts and standards for additive manufacturing and that's taking a little bit of time," Bradshaw explains. He believes part of Arcam's role is in guiding the discussion around additive technology so institutions can adopt appropriate procedures. "Organizations understand at a high level that additive is the way to go," Bradshaw continues. "But step by step, it's still a little bit of a mystery for people. So we're helping with that." Arcam will only gain more influence throughout the industry as it enlarges its global footprint. In the past year, the company has opened the offices in Germany and Italy to support its sales and equipment service. "We like to have the service arms close to the customer," Bradshaw says. "As people begin to move to product, having 3-D printers down for a long time doesn't work." It all adds up to a company that is positioned well to act as a complete service provider for the growing 3-D printing market. "The goal for Arcam in general is to transplant conventional manufacturing with additive manufacturing," Bradshaw says. "The ability to actually do that with systems but also with powders is huge." mt SPECIAL SECTION work with a manufacturer who specializes in powder and can consultant on the proper products to use instead of producing its own materials. "AP&C is a consultant to a lot of OEMs so they understand the material characteristics of the powder they are going to be using in their additive manufacturing system," Bradshaw says. Arcam is already working toward upgrading AP&C's capabilities. Construction is underway on a state-ofthe-art powder factory in Saint-Eustache, Quebec. The $23-million investment is expected to significantly increase AP&C's capacity and ability to meet customer demand and ensure additive manufacturing customers have a secured supply chain of powder. In addition to its acquisition of AP&C, Arcam has developed a partnership with DiSanto Technology (DTI), a full-service medical contract manufacturer specializing in orthopedic implants. Bradshaw views DTI as a center of excellence for orthopedic systems that can help orthopedic companies produce parts and earn FDA certification for implants. "We're helping the entire industry move forward," Bradshaw says of the partnership. With AP&C and DTI, Arcam now 39