The private-equity group that recently acquired ExOne Co. and voxeljet AG has combined the two additive manufacturing firms as a single enterprise, ExOne Global Holdings. Anzu Partners said the two business’s operations will be integrated to offer a broader product line, aftermarket support, and global printing service.
The combined business will be headed by CEO Eric Bader, currently the managing director of ExOne GmbH, who stated: “Our customers and partners will experience ongoing stability and consistency as we move forward,” said Eric Bader. “In bringing together ExOne’s leadership in digital sand casting and voxeljet’s capabilities in large-format industrial printing supporting sand and investment casting, our focus is to leverage our joined strengths, preserve reliability, and deliver new growth.”
Both businesses specialize in binder-jet 3D printing technologies, with particular strength in sand printing for metalcasting molds and cores. Voxeljet also has technologies for high-speed sintering and ceramic printing, and it offers on-demand printing services.
ExOne’s binder-jet technologies are applicable for printing steel, nonferrous alloys, and ceramic parts, as well as sand, and it too offers printing services.
Anzu Partners acquired voxeljet in late July in an estimated $23-million takeover that involved mostly debt assumption. It acquired ExOne for an undisclosed price in August during a bankruptcy sale of the business by Desktop Metal.
Anzu Partners managing partner Whitney Haring-Smith, who will be the chairman of the new ExOne Global Holding, stated: “We are thrilled to bring together two of the most respected names in industrial binder-jet and large-format additive manufacturing.
“ExOne and voxeljet each bring unique strengths and customer relationships. Under a single ownership and with unified leadership, we intend to accelerate innovation and deepen customer commitment,” Haring-Smith continued.
An email message announcing the combination to ExOne customers emphasized that “existing points of contact, contracts, and projects remain unchanged. All regional facilities in Germany, the United States, Japan, China, and India will continue operating as before, ensuring uninterrupted support and communication.
“By joining forces, voxeljet and ExOne will combine their technological expertise and research capabilities. This enables faster development of next-generation solutions for digital sand casting, investment casting, and other industrial 3D printing applications,” the message stated.
In a published interview Haring-Smith emphasized the value of the two businesses’ combined base of installations and their respective intellectual property and research capabilities, while stressing the new group’s strategy to accelerate product development and deepen customer engagement.
“Our focus is to leverage our joined strengths, preserve reliability, and deliver new growth,” Bader stated.
About the Author
Robert Brooks
Content Director
Robert Brooks has been a business-to-business reporter, writer, editor, and columnist for more than 20 years, specializing in the primary metal and basic manufacturing industries. His work has covered a wide range of topics, including process technology, resource development, material selection, product design, workforce development, and industrial market strategies, among others.