Stratasys forms Vulcan Labs to focus on Powder-Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing
April 10, 2018
Stratasys Ltd., based in Minneapolis, USA, and Rehovot, Israel, has announced the formation of a new spin-off company, Vulcan Labs Inc, to develop production-focused solutions based on Powder-Bed Fusion (PBF) technology. Located in Belton, Texas, USA, the new company will address the complex demands of end-use production applications, and is aimed at significantly overcoming issues with productivity, quality and certification.
Vulcan Labs originates from the company’s 2014 acquisition of Harvest Technologies, a production-oriented service bureau originally established in 1995. The new management team at Vulcan is said to have decades of experience in the production application of both polymers and metals and includes CEO David K Leigh, an original Founder and CEO of Harvest Technologies.
The company’s primary focus is said to be on advancing the quality, repeatability and efficiency of PBF technology – initially focusing on metals. Solutions currently under development are said to include:
- Optimised build environments and unique multi-laser scan strategies
- Closed loop melt pool quality control
- Detailed data logging and integration to the factory floor
- Automated powder handling and in-situ powder quality characterisation
- Automated calibration and build set-up capabilities
Leigh stated, “We’re extremely excited to continue our long-standing collaboration with Stratasys that began back in 2014. Together, we’ll continue to explore unique solutions that strengthen the production ecosystem across Additive Manufacturing. Our team will bring a unique perspective to solving many of the issues from an end-user perspective. We’re looking forward to delivering new solutions for customers to take control of their applications, while having the tools in place to manage their own quality.”
Stratasys CEO, Ilan Levin, added, “Vulcan’s best-in-class team has both the experience and technical know-how necessary to bring PBF into real-world production – a vision perfectly aligned and complementary to our other activities in this space, including Stratasys Direct Manufacturing and our investment in LPW. To provide Vulcan with the best path to achieve its vision, we decided to form a new and independent entity, with Stratasys as an equity stakeholder. We are delighted to continue supporting this team and look forward to collaborating with them and their partners to achieve this vision.”