AddUp takes metal 3D printing to the next level
AddUp, the joint venture created by Michelin and Fives in 2016 and specialized in metal 3D printing, has just developed a new generation of machines with promising features for industry. This new offering caters for Michelin's ambitions to expand its operations beyond the tire sector.
Michelin believes metal 3D printing is one of the growth drivers in the High-Tech Materials field. This is why we decided, three years ago, to pool our expertise with Fives and create a joint venture named AddUp – and it was the right decision. Through this partnership we can now offer a comprehensive range of tailored solutions for industry. Today's launch of the next-generation Formup 350 machine, which is perfectly geared to industrial requirements, is yet another demonstration of this.
MAJOR CHANGES TO ADVANCE INDUSTRY
This new generation of machines lives up to the industrial community's expectations: it is absolutely safe to operate, it produces series of parts that are perfectly reproducible at hitherto unseen productivity levels, and it pushes back the obsolescence of earlier generations of machines by using a modular, upgradable architecture. This level of industrial performance is the product of AddUp's expertise and the hard work done by all of its teams, from R&D through to maintenance. Originally intended for the production of one-off, high value-added items, metal 3D printing technology is gaining a broader market and now extends to other applications such as the automotive, aviation, health sectors, energy, among others.
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MICHELIN TO EXPAND ITS BUSINESS BEYOND TIRES
"By 2030, the Group's profile, while remaining true to its DNA, will have changed considerably as new, high value-added businesses - whether related to tires or not - gain traction. It is this ability to constantly reinvent itself that has been Michelin's strength for over 130 years and which makes us confident about the future." In these terms, Florent Menegaux reaffirmed the Group's ambition to speed up its development in various sectors related to and beyond tires, during the presentation of the Group's new strategic plan, "Michelin in Motion", on April 8 last. Like services and solutions, sustainable flexible compounds, medical applications and hydrogen, metal 3D printing is one of the high-growth sectors that the Group has decided to enter. Over its history, Michelin has acquired outstanding expertise in the physics and chemistry of High-Tech Materials and their simulation, processing, industrialization and applications. The Group intends to leverage this recognized know-how in fields other than tires and the new AddUp offering is a further example.