ExOne M-Flex
The ExOne Company (NASDAQ: XONE), a global provider of 3D printing machines and printed products to industrial customers and rapid prototype + manufacturing (rp+m), jointly announced last week a collaboration that has added bonded tungsten to ExOne's portfolio of 3D printing material.
ExOne and rp+m worked collaboratively to develop the application of bonded tungsten in the design of rp+m's products to be used in protecting people and their environments from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. The 3D-printed products provide solutions that reduce development time and costs traditionally associated with fabrication and tooling, as well as production lead time. rp+m and its partner, Radiation Protection Technologies, target bundled solutions for lead replacement for the medical imaging and aerospace markets. rp+m has ordered an M-Flex machine to develop solutions in bonded tungsten, which replaces lead, with a Restriction of Use of Hazardous Substances-compliant solution.
Rick Lucas, ExOne's Chief Technology Officer, commented: "3D printed bonded tungsten is a great solution for radiation shielding because the M-Flex can create complex shapes for these applications that would be difficult to create with conventional methods of manufacturing. Our collaboration with rp+m demonstrates the power of ExOne's strategy in engaging customers in the early stages of the materials development process, yielding direct applications in new markets."
Matt Hlavin, Chief Executive Officer of rp+m, noted: "We believe ExOne's M-Flex machine is unique because of its ability to use multiple types of material and the machine's fast print speeds. The ExOne team is clearly committed to forming strategic relationships with innovators, such as rp+m, to drive their 3D technology to new frontiers. rp+m will continue to work with ExOne to develop other materials and applications for the M-Flex machine."
ExOne's Material Applications Laboratory (ExMAL) continues to have other materials under various stages of development. ExOne has been focused on 3D printing for industrial customers since 2005.
