Dutch chemicals company Royal DSM is restructuring its additive manufacturing activities in the face of increasing mass customization and small volume production trends using AM.
The company announced that it was creating a “customer-centric” organization by aligning all its AM activities within its Materials cluster and promoting a partnership approach.
This involves the formation of an integrated business – DSM Additive Manufacturing – which encompasses all of DSM's AM activities, including its Somos business in resins for stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP).
Additionally, the business will offer fused filament fabrication (FFF) as well as experience achieved from years of research in selective laser sintering (SLS), multi jet fusion, ink jet and binder jet processes.
DSM said it would initially focus on four market segments in particular: healthcare, transportation, apparel and tools & electronics, with the aim to help customers find “exactly the right materials and production systems for their applications.”
“We continue to introduce major innovations in SLA and DLP materials, but this is only a part of the total AM picture, and we want to cover the entire area,” said Hugo da Silva, VP of Additive Manufacturing at DSM, explaining the rationale behind the move.
“We also want to explore new and emerging technologies in AM as they graduate from research,” Da Silva added.
DSM's future strategy in AM will also involve what the company calls the ‘ecosystem' approach.
This refers to partnerships and collaboration as part of the foundation of the new organization to allow DSM to provide customers with an open and flexible infrastructure.
DSM announced a technology partnership with Toyota Motorsport GmbH on Nov. 8, which would involve for supply of materials to TMG, including engineering plastics and 3D printing.
DSM has also acquired the HP Multi Jet Fusion Materials Development Kit in an effort to jump-start 3D powder development for HP's Jet Fusion 3D printing solution. DSM plans to collaborate with HP in the development of materials and bring innovative solutions to the market.