Evonik
Evonik AM
Evonik has acquired a minority stake in Chinese 3D printer manufacturer UnionTech via its Venture Capital arm.
It represents the company’s second investment in a Chinese 3D printing firm, after putting millions into Meditool last year, and also follows investments in Castor Technologies and Structured Polymers.
UnionTech, who manufactures and sells Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing platforms, is owned by multiple Chinese investors and the company’s management. Evonik has joined these existing investors, securing a minority stake for an undisclosed amount, as it prepares to introduce materials optimised for the SLA process under the new INFINAM product line.
The polymer materials company is projecting an ‘accelerated market access’ for photopolymer products, particularly within China, and has thus moved to expand its 3D printing capabilities, which have so far focused primarily on powder and filament materials.
“We expect great technical advanced in the field of Stereolithography. Evonik is preparing the launch of ready-to-use materials for this process,” commented Bernhard Mohr, Head of Evonik’s Venture Captial unit. “Our investment is therefore not only aimed at a profitable financial return, but above all at new insights in the use of this process.”
“With the coming up introduction of the new products and the current participation in UnionTech, we are expanding our activities as a reliable partner of the industry in the development and manufacturing of high-performance materials for 3D printing to strengthen our business activities along the important photopolymer technology,” added Thomas Grosse-Puppendahl, Evonik’s Head of Additive Manufacturing Innovation Growth Field.
"Evonik produces materials for all common 3D printing processes. This makes the company an ideal partner to continue to grow with us,” offered Jinsong Ma, General Manager of UnionTech. “This gives us direct access to the materials we need for our customers."
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