An agreement between GE Additive (www.geadditive.com) and Stryker (www.stryker.com) covering new additive machines, materials and services for the latter’s global supply-chain operations was announced at GE’s Minds+Machines event.

Mohammad Ehteshami, vice-president and general manager of GE Additive, said: “GE and Stryker share a similar vision, and both of us understand the transformative power of additive design and manufacturing.

“We regard Stryker as one of the most experienced practitioners of metal additive, with a range of commercialised medical products. We will continue to innovate with new additive products, materials and technologies, which will support their growth.”

Stryker has already invested in Concept Laser and Arcam machines. The company’s investment in additive manufacturing began in 2001; since then, it has collaborated with leading universities in Ireland and the UK to industrialise 3-D printing for the health-care industry.

Stryker recently opened a global technology development centre with an additive technology manufacturing hub in Carrigtohill, County Cork, Ireland. Additive manufacturing allows the company to address design complexity and achieve previously ‘unmanufacturable geometries’.

GE is a leading user and innovator in the additive-manufacturing sector. In addition to investments of $1.4 billion for the purchase of Concept Laser and Arcam, the company has invested about $1.5 billion in manufacturing and additive technologies over the past 10 years, developed additive applications across six GE businesses, and registered 346 patents in powder metals used in the additive process. In 2016, it established GE Additive.