Materialise
Materialise has acquired Identify3D, a company that develops software to encrypt, distribute and trace the flow of digital parts across complex supply chains.
Data security and integrity has become important for companies that want to retain control over design and production data, as the transition begins from a centralised production model to multiple digital production sites, closer to customers.
The Identify3D product suite encrypts, distributes and traces the flow of digital parts, preventing counterfeits and ensuring that maliciously or inadvertently modified, substandard or uncertified parts cannot enter the physical supply chain.
The company says that the software allows designers and manufacturing engineers to couple designs with specific production criteria, such as a designated user, a type of machine or material to control the production process and to meet the original manufacturing specifications.
The Materialise CO-AM software platform, which launched in May of this year, gives manufacturers cloud-based access to software that allows them to plan, manage and optimise 3D printing processes. Materialise has acquired Identify3D with the purpose of adding an additional layer of security to CO-AM. Materialise claims that this makes its platform “the most robust and secure software platform” for manufacturers that are looking to scale up 3D printing operations as part of a digital and distributed production environment.
“We believe that the factory of the future will not be a single, central location,” said Fried Vancraen, CEO of Materialise. “Instead, future manufacturing, enabled by smart technologies like 3D printing, will take place at multiple digital production sites, distributed around the world, closer to customers.”
Continuing, Vancraen said: “But this will only be possible when companies are sure that their design and production data remains secure. This acquisition allows manufacturers to secure the flow of digital parts and maintain a competitive advantage.”
Smart, digital technologies like 3D printing enable a shift towards multiple smaller-scale manufacturing sites closer to customers. Companies that want to protect unique designs, when it comes to sharing design files and digital assets among industrial companies and suppliers, new conversations about data security open up.
Data integrity is also important for companies embracing digital manufacturing. This is with manufacturers that plan to scale up production of a 3D printed part into the thousands or millions wanting to ensure that all components have the same quality, irrespective of where they are produced.
Materialise
The Materialise CO-AM software offers cloud-based access to multiple hardware technologies and their preferred tools from Materialise and other software developers.
“At the centre of a digital supply chain is the movement of valuable data from design through manufacturing,” said Joe Inkenbrandt, Co-Founder and CEO of Identify3D. “Our mission has always been to address the security and integrity of that data. Integrating our software in the Materialise CO-AM platform allows us to fully unlock its potential and give customers security and control of their data in a way never seen before in the industry.”
Identify3D has worked with leaders in the 3D printing industry before, such as SLM Solutions and Siemens, who it began partnerships with in 2018.
Vancraen and Materialise Senior Marketing Director of Software Hans Van Glabeke spoke to TCT earlier this year about CO-AM and why the company believes it will be so important to the AM industry.
Financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed.
