Type A Machines
Type A Machine and BriteLab strike manufacturing partnership for Series 1 3D printer
Type A Machine’s award-winning technology is in high demand, and this partnership will ensure the industrial-grade Fused Filament Fabrication 3D printer reaches locations it previously wouldn’t have.
3D printing manufacturer, Type A Machines and BriteLab have today entered a manufacturing relationship which will see an acceleration in the production of the Series 1 3D printer.
Type A Machines' award-winning technology is in high demand, and this partnership will ensure the industrial-grade Fused Filament Fabrication 3D printer reaches locations it previously wouldn’t have.
BriteLab provides collaboration-based product lifecycle-focused manufacturing solutions from its facility in San Jose, CA. This will see the Series 1 manufactured where it is designed, Silicon Valley. Both companies are confident this agreement will greatly benefit Type A’s product line, through BriteLab’s original equipment manufacturer (OEM) management, factory automation, product engineering, and high volume expertise.
“The Type A Machines Series 1 line of 3D printers, featuring one of the largest build volumes, support for more than 80 materials, and hot swappable integration with the Print Pod, has opened new opportunities for 3D manufacturers and entrepreneurs worldwide,” said Andrew Rutter, Type A Machines' Founder and CEO. “Manufacturing in the U.S. was an important consideration in our selection of an OEM partner. While it’s critical we remain responsive to the market, and protect our intellectual property, we also feel an obligation to improve our local jobs economy. We’re pleased BriteLab was able to meet all of our requirements.”
With the demand for 3D printing increasing on a global scale – Gartner reported worldwide shipments of 3D printers in 2016 doubled those of 2015 – Type A Machines has reacted by aligning itself with BriteLab. Positioning itself in a setting capable of meeting this growing demand, Type A Machines is focusing on the needs of enterprise customers across the emerging 3D manufacturing market. BriteLab, looking to assist Type A Machines in this aim, is also hopeful this partnership will contribute to Silicon Valley’s growing status as an innovative hub.
“Type A Machines’ ground-breaking technologies exemplify the spirit that continues to make Silicon Valley the innovation capital of the world,” said Robert de Neve, CEO, BriteLab. “We look forward to collaborating with Type A Machines at a peer-to-peer level and applying our full OEM and automation expertise to help ensure their continued success.”
The Series 1 3D printer at the focus of this partnership, is a desktop system which Type A Machines believes is one of the most advanced additive manufacturing solutions in the world. Boasting a full cubic foot build volume, 305mm x 305mm x 305mm, and a rigid frame, the printer enables the production of bigger parts and broader applications. With this rigid aluminium frame, X-axis reinforcements and aluminium lateral stiffeners ensure high quality output. An industry-leading extruder provides precise, clog-free performance and broad material capability, while the machine has also gathered data of many models over many prints to enable the user to print with dozens of material right out of the box.
As part of this relationship, BriteLab will provide Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and New Product Introduction (NPI) services for the Type A Machines Series 1 product line. By providing Type A Machines’ high-volume manufacturing services at its facilities in San Jose, BriteLab will deliver product faster than any offshore facility. It will also enable Type A Machines’ designers and engineers to follow closely the process from start to finish. The result will see a reduction in time to market, in IP theft associated with offshore manufacturing, and in travel time, while providing an increase in machine quality.
