Israel-based
Nano Dimension Ltd, a leading supplier of additively manufactured electronics (AME) and multi-dimensional metal and ceramic additive manufacturing (AM) 3-D printers, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire
Formatec Holding BV, which includes its two subsidiaries —
Admatec Europe BV and
Formatec Technical Ceramics BV.
Based in the Netherlands, Admatec/Formatec is comprised of two complementary businesses operating together. It is a leading developer and manufacturer of AM and 3-D printing systems for ceramic and metal end-use parts, and its industry-grade systems are used to produce an array of parts for medical, jewellery, industrial, and investment casting uses.
Admatec/Formatec’s industrial production service division is a design-to-production partner for industrial-scale customers via its service bureau platform that combines the advantages of injection moulding and AM. Both means of production have served as a ‘strategic advantage’ in working with customers, from early-stage ideas into the serial production of end-use parts.
Nano Dimension believes that Admatec/Formatec is now poised for even greater success within the ‘Industry 4.0 landscape’, which Nano Dimension is ‘at the forefront of transforming’ with its combination of deep-learning-based AI, AM, materials science, and robotics.
“This expertise is planned to enable advanced breakthroughs across the Admatec/Formatec set of solutions and expected to drive tremendous competitive edges for customers. Nano Dimension’s ‘go-to-market platform’ is geared to accelerate and broaden the reach of Admatec/Formatec’s products and services to growing markets, particularly in the USA and Europe, where a tailwind of macro trends is driving demand for AM while onshoring and localising high-mix low-volume manufacturing.”
With Admatec/Formatec, Nano Dimension will add two critical aspects to its offering in the AM domain: materials and new product types. “Materials have and will continue to be the bedrock of a successful AM offering. Nano Dimension is already leading in materials science thanks to the breakthroughs in driving additively manufactured electronics with both conductive and dielectric materials. Now, Nano Dimension will also benefit from ceramic and metals — two critical materials for developing applications and end-use parts.
Yoav Stern, Nano Dimension’s chairman and CEO (pictured), said: “Admatec/Formatec’s scientists, engineers and other team members, all of whom joined Nano Dimension upon closing of this transaction, are experts and industry veterans in AM 3-D industrial processes and they are going to continue to be led by their present management team. Admatec/Formatec’s products and services expand Nano Dimension’s Fabrica Division, adding volume manufacturing capabilities to the high-precision micro-mechanical Fabrica 2.0 systems.
“No less important is our intention to use our deep-learning-based artificial intelligence technologies, from our DeepCube acquisition, to become the ‘robotic brains’ for Admatec/Formatec systems. We expect this will improve yield and throughput and drive a more seamless integration with Nano Dimension’s Fabrica systems.”