REDWOOD CITY, CA: September 15, 2016. Following its success with delivering quality parts to BMW, Ford and Delphi, printing company Carbon 3D has raised US$81 million from GE Ventures, BMW, Nikon and JSR Corporation in a bid transition from prototyping to mainstream 3D manufacturing.
The company's business approach combines hardware, software and molecular science and has now raised US$222 million to further develop and market its proprietary 'CLIP' software and printer technology.
"3D printing is a translation of the digital to a physical reality and when done right, offers true design freedom across every category," explained Joseph DeSimone, CEO and co-founder of Carbon. "At launch we set forth a bold vision to fundamentally change how the world makes 'things.'"
JSR president Nobu Koshiba noted: "Carbon approached the challenge, and potential, of 3D printing from a very different perspective. With its M1 and CLIP technologies, [it] has introduced a solution that will truly revolutionize manufacturing."
Earlier this year UPS announced the launch of a distributed, on-demand manufacturing and logistics network based on 3D printers at UPS Stores and the 3D manufacturer Fast Radius' printing factory in Louisville, Kentucky. The company will open a second 3D printing factory with UPS in Singapore by the end of 2016.
Customers place their 3D orders online via Fast Radius, which are then directed to the optimal manufacturing or UPS Store location based on speed, geography, and the product quality the customer requires. UPS says orders can be shipped the same day.
"By building this disruptive technology into our supply chain models, we also bring new value to our manufacturing customers of all sizes," said Stan Deans, president, UPS Global Distribution & Logistics. "Additive manufacturing technology is still developing rapidly so 'manufacturing as a service' is a smart approach for many companies."
Steve Taub, senior director of Advanced Manufacturing, GE Ventures added: "In today's digital world, additive manufacturing is changing how products are designed, made and serviced at GE. Carbon's CLIP technology can print exceptional quality parts for end-use production, opening the doors to incredible possibilities like low volume manufacturing, freedom of design, and mass customization."
