In a statement issued 6 September, the US company General Electric Co announced it will spend $1.4 billion acquiring two European manufacturers of 3-D printers to make aircraft components.

GE is to buy Sweden’s Arcam AB (www.arcam.com) for 5.86 billion kronor ($680 million) and, in a separate transaction, the German company SLM Solutions Group AG (slm-solutions.com).

Rachel Gordon, an analyst at the IDTechEx group, said: “Until now, companies have typically bought one or two machines for R&D purposes. Now, they are starting to use them to actually produce parts and are buying larger numbers of machines.” GE’s move could “trigger a wave of acquisitions” in the sector, she added.

David Joyce, chief executive of GE Aviation, said: “We chose these two companies because each brings complementary additive technology. Over time, we plan to extend the line of additive manufacturing equipment and products.

“Arcam promotes its proprietary technology using electron beams as having a fast printing process and ability to use a wide range of printing materials, while laser-based systems like SLM’s are generally capable of making more-detailed components.”

Arcam will be able to sell its products to other companies in the aerospace industry, even after GE’s take-over, he added.