Carbon has established a dedicated, vertically integrated production partner in Asia via DDK to manufacture 3D printed bike saddles.
The company's partnership with DDK is the first of its kind for Carbon within the Asian market. Founded in 1970, DDK Group is a world-leading manufacturer of high-performance bicycle saddles.
Together, the partners hope to bring 3D printed saddles to market faster and at greater scale.
DDK has set up a facility that brings the additive manufacturing of latticed saddles and final saddle assembly under one roof. By consolidating each step of the saddle supply chain in a single location, DDK aims to compress customer time-to-market and unlock the efficiencies that come with vertical integration of the supply chain.
Per Carbon, its 3D printing technology has enabled the production of nearly one million saddles, with demand 'continuing to outpace existing capacity.' With a Tier 1 contract manufacturer focused exclusively on saddle production, however, the company believes it is making a 'critical step' towards meeting the demand.
"Bringing DDK online as the first Tier 1 supplier dedicated to printing saddles on the Carbon platform is a defining moment for the category," said Phil DeSimone, Chief Executive Officer, Carbon. "3D-printed saddles are no longer a flagship novelty — they're a must-have in brand portfolios, and our customers need partners who can deliver them at scale, in the right geographies, with the right capabilities. DDK opens the door to a faster path from design to rider, and brings 3D-printed performance within reach of a much wider range of riders, budgets, and skill levels."
