Desktop Metal is being relaunched under new ownership following the sale of select assets to investment group Arc Impact Acquisition Corporation.
Arc Impact has acquired Desktop Metal's binder-jet IP plus Adaptive3D's DuraChain elastomers and FreeFoam expandable resins. The acquisition comes after Desktop Metal filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy back in July, with sales of its EnvisionTec, ExOne and AIDRO subsidiaries already underway. The transaction has been approved through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and a dedicated team has been appointed to support existing Desktop Metal customers.
The company says it plans to deploy its newly acquired assets - which includes metal binder jet, ceramic 3D printing, polymers, and AI-assisted materials - in a 'distributed R&D-as-a-Service network' with universities, which will feed into centralised, high-throughput manufacturing hubs.
"Our north star is simple: put advanced, automated manufacturing back to work in domestic markets," said Thomas Nogueira, Desktop Metal’s newly appointed Chief Executive Officer. "By pairing proven additive processes with data-driven, autonomous workflows and AI-accelerated materials R&D, we can shorten development cycles from years to months—and deliver qualified parts at scale to solve our customers' challenges with high precision and service."
Per a press release, the company says it plans to focus on programs supporting economic competitiveness and national security such as heavy rare-earth–free permanent magnets, sodium-ion solid-state battery components, solid-state transformer parts for AI data centres and grid modernisation.
Specific projects include:
- A $7.9 million collaborative program with the U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC), administered by the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), to qualify aluminium binder jet additive manufacturing (BJAM) for defence vehicle components.
- Several U.S. Department of Defense projects to develop silicon carbide (SiC) components and SiC 3D printing techniques to improve missile defence system performance that includes a related collaboration with Northrop Grumman to 3D print SiC optics for high-energy laser systems.
- A $2 million program with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to manufacture FreeFoam parts, including patient cushioning devices, using digital light processing (DLP) technology.
Earlier this mont, dental 3D printing brand SprintRay acquired Desktop Metal's EnvisionTec/ETEC portfolio of dental products, which were originally acquired in 2021. Affiliates of Anzu Partners have also been granted approval to acquire EnvisionTec GmbH, ExOne GmbH and ExOne KK.
