Meltio, a Spain-based manufacturer of laser metal deposition technologies, has entered into a partnership agreement with Bharat Fritz Werner (BFW), India’s largest machine tool provider. As a value-added partner, BFW will reportedly assist Meltio in the development of its metal 3D printing and BFW CNC brand hybrid manufacturing solutions for the Indian market.

Through the strategic alliance, BFW will bring Meltio’s DED-based metal AM to the Indian market through the integration of the technology into BFW machines. The partnership is mutually beneficial in that BFW is expanding its product portfolio and the hybrid capabilities it offers to India-based manufacturers and Meltio’s metal AM process is reaching a whole new market.

“The world is changing and this strategic partnership between Meltio’s innovative technology and BFW’s strong position in India (one of the world’s most important markets) will bring forth cutting-edge solutions for the next industrial revolution 4.0,” said Angel Llavero López de Villalta, CEO of Meltio.

Ravi Raghavan, CEO of BFW, also commented on the partnership saying: “We are very impressed with Meltio’s innovative additive technology. Our partnership opens doors for developing an array of industrial applications yielding a competitive advantage to customers. We are very excited about the future as Bharat Fritz Werner and Meltio both share a common vision of providing futuristic solutions to customers.”

Meltio’s metal AM technology is based on a wire welding process, which uses the most affordable metal feedstock available. It also recently introduced Hexagon’s ESPRIT TNG hybrid manufacturing CAM software into its product ecosystem to facilitate the integration of its metal AM technology with CNC machining and establish efficient, single-platform workflows for hybrid manufacturing. Meltio is showcasing its products and new partnerships at Formnext 2021 this week.

BFW, for its part, announced its entry into the metal AM market in September 2021, signalling the move with the appointment of DED expert Ashok H Varma as Executive VP and Global Leader of Additive Manufacturing strategies, business and partnerships.