TRUMPF has entered the fast-growing 3D printing market through a joint venture with SISMA S.p.A., Italy’s largest laser manufacturer.
SISMA has a 45 per cent stake in the joint venture and TRUMPF has a 55 per cent stake. The new enterprise, TRUMPF SISMA S.r.l. is based in Piovene Rocchette, near Vicenza, Italy. The two partners plan to co-develop a new generation production system for 3D printing of metal components.
TRUMPF says in response to the growing demand for addiitive manufacturing, it’s working on a rapid entry into this market at its headquarters in Ditzingen, Germany as well as with SISMA.
“Many machines on the market today are aimed more at prototype construction,” explains Dr. Peter Leibinger, head of TRUMPF Laser Technology. “In the future, however, the most important criterion where additive manufacturing lines are concerned will be their suitability for industrial applications.”
SISMA began development work on an additive manufacturing machine for the production of small metallic components several years ago and brings this expertise to the joint venture. With annual sales of 33 million Euro and around 1000 laser devices sold each year, SISMA is the biggest laser manufacturer in Italy.
Whle the joint venture is new, TRUMPF entered the additive manufacturing sector in 2000. However, the “TrumaForm”, a universal tool for the generative manufacturing of metallic materials, was ahead of its time since the market for serial production of components had not yet developed, says TRUMPF. At the start of this year TRUMPF entered the additive manufacturing business once again, and is now benefiting from earlier development work as well as from its increasing expertise in the related process of laser deposition welding, which is already being used today in all kinds of sectors for repair and coating applications.
