Sumitomo Corporation has reportedly invested in Elementum 3D Inc, an additive manufacturing (AM) research and development company for advanced metals, composites and ceramics. The company says that Elementum holds a patent for a metal powder blended with ceramics that can help enables faster printing speed, stronger mechanical properties and a wider usage of metal grades when compared to other AM materials.
‘This investment is an excellent complement to our growing portfolio in the AM space,’ said Kazuaki Tsuda, senior vice president at Sumitomo. ‘Elementum is pioneering new intelligence related to the raw materials supply chain in AM, and we see abundant opportunity for these applications in the near future.’
Sumitomo says that the technology could see AM end-users working directly with Elementum rather than traditional raw materials manufacturers.
The company has recently acquired other AM companies such as Sintavia, a additive manufacturer for the aerospace and oil & gas industries, AREVO, a 3D printing company using carbon composite materials and Shapeways, a 3D printing service company.
This story uses material from Sumitomo, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
