Global 3D printing manufacturer, ExOne has announced a refocus on how it demonstrates and provides its industrial sand core and mould binder jet 3D printing services in North America.
To facilitate faster adoption of its technology, ExOne will restructure its production service centres located in Troy, Michigan and Houston, Texas, into ExOne Adoption Centers (EACs). Expanding these existing centres, ExOne will provide a greater variety of its latest binder and material sets, including cold hardening phenolic and sodium silicate production, as well as an expanded range of its machine platforms and machine options.
Additionally, ExOne is looking to create more robust, regionally-based material development services, as well as expand its technical and training services within the EACs.
“We completed a market assessment of where we stand with industrial customers’ desires for binder jet 3D printing,” said Jim McCarley, ExOne CEO. “We see the North American market adoption rate of sand printing technology accelerating. Contributing to this, our S-Max platform, which has been designed with an expanded binder and base material configuration, is well positioned for growth in this area. Our goal with the EACs is to create the proper support and service structure to ensure we sustain the market’s momentum.”
As part of ExOne’s rearrangement, parts of its 3D printing operations at its production service centre in North Las Vegas, Nevada, will be consolidated into its Houston and Troy facilities. ExOne also plans to exit its non-core Machin-A-Mation specialty machining operation in Chesterfield, Michigan. Both actions have been made in an attempt to better prioritise ExOne’s human and capital resources towards advancing the adoption rate of its binder jet printing.
“At ExOne, our goal is to rapidly and effectively accelerate the adoption rate of binder jet printing, which we believe will in turn expand our addressable market,” added McCarley. “The actions announced (on January 30th) are the first steps in building a structure that will be better equipped to demonstrate our latest advancements in binders and materials, provide more robust training services and allow us to interact more closely with our customers and their applications of binder jet printing.”