Printers at Sintavia
Metal AM machines at Sintavia's base in Hollywood, Florida.
Sintavia has announced its acquisition of QC Laboratories, a non-destructive testing (NDT) services company.
Also based in Hollywood, Florida, QC Labs will operate as a standalone company and help to enhance Sintavia’s NDT capabilities.
Both parties have worked together for a number of years prior to this takeover, with QC Labs’ surface finish conformance testing being highlighted as a particular draw for Sintavia’s investment.
Sintavia will this year increase its metal 3D printer install base to 20, having recently moved into a new 55,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing facility. This fleet of printing systems is supplemented by a host of post-processing platforms, a metallurgical and powder lab, and mechanical testing equipment, all of which is harnessed to deliver metal components to the aerospace and defence industries.
Serving the same markets, QC Labs specialises in radiographic, ultrasonic, and magnetic particle inspections, and counts Honeywell Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls Royce among its customers. They will continue to serve these industrial heavyweights, but now officially as a Sintavia company.
“We have worked with QC Labs for a number of years to develop surface finish inspection metrics that are relevant for the additive manufacturing industry,” commented Doug Hedges, Sintavia’s President and Chief Technology Officer. “Today’s announcement is a natural extension of this same process, and we are looking forward to deepening the relationship with QC Labs as we continue to develop acceptable NDT metrics for production AM.”
“For more than 50 years, QC Labs has been trusted by critical industries, including aerospace and defence, to deliver high quality NDT services,” added John Ahow, QC Labs’ General Manager. “It is very exciting to apply these same services to the developing field of additive manufacturing through Sintavia.”
