AddUp to acquire majority stake in metal AM company Poly-Shape
The French AM company started by Fives and Michelin also acquired BeAM in June 2018
AddUp, the French metal AM company founded by Fives and Michelin, has announced its plan to acquire a majority stake in France-based metal AM specialist Poly-Shape. The news comes months after AddUp announced it had acquired Strasbourg-based BeAM, known for its Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology.
Founded in 2007, Poly-Shape has become a respected metal AM design and manufacturing service across a range of industries. The company has served the tooling, aeronautic, medical and energy sectors. Above all, though, it has worked with clients in the automotive sector and specifically the motor racing sector, including various Formula 1 initiatives.
Notably, the company operates 3D printing factories at four locations: Salon-de-Provence, Saint-Pierre-du-Perray and Le Coudray-Montceaux in France and in Carpi, Italy. Each locations features extensive equipment for designing, 3d printing and post-processing metal components.
In acquiring a majority stake in Poly-Shape, AddUp is aiming to leverage the company’s expertise to reinforce its own additive manufacturing offering for the automotive sector. As AddUp CEO Vincent Ferreiro expressed, Poly-Shape’s experience working with the motor racing and automotive sectors will enable it to better support its OEMs for the additive manufacturing of parts for high-end vehicles.
Further, AddUp hopes to extend and improve its customer support for the evaluation of 3D printing opportunities and applications with Poly-Shape’s expertise in tow. Specifically, the company says it will be able to offer its clients access to a multi-vendor, multi-technology, multi-material and multi-application testing platform to determine the best course of action for 3D printing certain parts.
Lastly, AddUp’s acquisition of Poly-Shape will enable it to accelerate the development of its own equipment and services offering, largely thanks to the experience and know-how of the Poly-Shape team. With over a decade of experience in the metal AM sector, experts at Poly-Shape will be able to provide vital feedback to AddUp on its metal production and on its machines.
But the benefits will not only be unidirectional, as Stéphane Abed, Chairman of Poly-Shape commented:
“AddUp and Poly‐Shape share the same vision regarding the evolution of the world of 3D printing and the same passion for innovation. Poly‐Shape will benefit from AddUp’s proven expertise in the industrialization and management of machines as well as a reinforced access to the world of motor sports thanks to Michelin’s worldwide reputation. AddUp will bring additional resources to Poly‐Shape so that it can continue its development both in France and abroad. AddUp’s entry into Poly‐Shape’s capital is a recognition of the expertise and work carried out by the teams during these last few years.”
Philippe Veran, Chairman of Upperside and a founding shareholder of Poly‐Shape, added: “I have been happy to accompany Poly‐Shape’s wonderful teams since 2007 and to have participated in the evolution of a company with a recognized know‐how. AddUp’s investment into the capital represents a true opportunity for Poly‐Shape and its employees to continue its development and growth.”
No further details of the acquisition have yet been disclosed.
