On 3D Printing » ExOne

The ExOne Company (NASDAQ:XONE), a global provider of 3D printing machines and printed products to industrial customers, announced that it added iron infiltrated with bronze as a new 3D printing material and has also increased its suite of binder solutions for its 3D printing process.

ExOne filed for IPO at the beginning of 2013.

ExOne’s strategy is to expand its direct metal printing capabilities to increase opportunities in the industrial marketplace. Iron is widely used in the manufacturing of machine tools, automotive parts and general support structures. Part of the reason for iron’s popularity as an industrial product is its cost effectiveness. Manufacturing iron-based products using ExOne’s 3D printing technology allows for the direct creation of more intricate products than traditional manufacturing processes, and creates a more cost effective alternative to current 3D printing materials such as stainless steel. ExOne believes that the addition of iron to its metal portfolio will be well received by customers in the traditional markets for iron. ExOne prioritized its development of iron infiltrated with bronze as a result of general customer interest and the breadth of the manufacturing market.

To further develop its reach into the molds and casting industry, ExOne has added phenolic and sodium silicate to its suite of binders for use in its 3D printing process. Phenolic binder, used with ceramic sand in the 3D printing of molds and cores, offers customers three benefits:

Casting higher heat alloys,
Creating a higher strength mold or core, and
Improving the quality of the casting due to reduced expansion of the mold or core.

These capabilities address challenges faced by the automotive, aviation, hydraulic/heavy equipment and pump industries.

ExOne believes that sodium silicate binder will appeal to casting houses that are in search of cleaner environmental processes. It is further believed that the use of sodium silicate will reduce or eliminate the release of fumes and gas in the casting process, helping to reduce costs associated with air ventilation, and electrical and maintenance equipment.

Rick Lucas, ExOne’s Chief Technology Officer, commented, “We are excited to add iron infiltrated with bronze to our product offerings. We continue to focus on the development of our other metals and materials. We remain committed to releasing at least one new material every six months. Our priorities are defined by the needs of our current customers and as we uncover new opportunities with prospective customers.”

ExOne’s Material Applications Laboratory (ExMAL), currently has eleven other materials under various stages of development. ExOne has been focused on 3D printing for industrial customers since 2005.

About ExOne

ExOne is a global provider of 3D printing machines and printed products to industrial customers. ExOne’s business primarily consists of manufacturing and selling 3D printing machines and printing products to specification for its customers using its in‐house 3D printing machines. ExOne offers pre‐production collaboration and prints products through Production Service Centers, which are located in the United States, Germany and Japan. ExOne builds 3D printing machines at its facilities in the United States and Germany. ExOne also supplies the associated products, including consumables and replacement parts, and services, including training and technical support, necessary for purchasers of its machines to print products.

Top 3D Printing News Last Week: Fashion, Practical, mUVe, Mobot, Pets

on3dprinting — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 02:38:04 +0000

3D Printing News

A roundup of the top 3D printing news from April 8 to April 14:

Monday, April 8

3D Printed Pets: Researchers Scan and 3D Print Animal Skeletons

Tuesday, April 9

i.Materialise Launches 3D Printing Design Challenge for Ceramics

Wednesday, April 10

3D Printed Fashion Show at London College of Fashion This Week

Thursday, April 11

Friday, April 12

Practical 3D Printing: 10 Things to Make With a 3D Printer

Sunday, April 14

mUVe 3D Printer Meets Funding Goal on Indiegogo

Get your exclusive 15% discount to the Inside 3D Printing conference with discount code PRINT.

ExOne Takes On 3D Systems and Stratasys in 3D Printing Stocks

on3dprinting — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:45:20 +0000

3D Printing Stocks Analysis

ExOne is the most recent 3D printing stocks to go public. Long overshadowed by 3D Systems and Stratasys, ExOne is now coming into its own limelight.

Investor site Seeking Alpha sheds some light on ExOne’s profile.

ExOne is a relatively new player compared to the other two heavy weights – the company was formed in 2005 as a spin-off of Extrude Hone Corporation, a developer of nontraditional machining processes and automated systems. The company is currently operating in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Through research and development, the company has achieved considerable success in additive manufacturing. Notable ExOne products include S-Max, S-Print, M-Print and M-Lab. Most of these products are meant for industrial use, and have the capability of manufacturing molds with sand printing and metal and glass printing.

Almost all of the ExOne products cater to the industrial customers, and the company has some of the largest printers available in the market. ExOne’s customers are showing considerable interest in the products and the company is receiving new orders. 3D printer sales have gone up for the company in the fourth quarter of the last year. As a result, ExOne was able to post impressive full year results. Another target market for ExOne is the researchers and educational customers – M-Lab is specifically designed to be used in labs and it is one of the smaller printers available in the company’s arsenal.

So, there are two sets of target markets for the company: industrial customers, which require ExOne products for rapid prototyping and building molds, and researchers and educational customers, which convert their experiments into reality using ExOne equipment. Industrial customers are a big segment and ExOne’s products are getting good response, which should allow the company to grow further in this segment.

Read the full analysis at Seeking Alpha.