ExOne and rp+m Collaborate to Deliver

ExOne and rp+m collaborate to deliver bonded tungsten as newest addition to ExOne’s 3D metal printing material portfolio designed for specific application in medical imaging and aerospace markets.

The ExOne Company (NASDAQ: XONE) (North Huntingdon, PA), a global provider of three-dimensional printing machines and printed products to industrial customers and rapid prototype + manufacturing (“rp+m”), jointly announced a collaboration that has added bonded tungsten to ExOne’s portfolio of 3D printing material.

ExOne and rp+m worked collaboratively to develop the application of bonded tungsten in the design of rp+m’s products to be used in protecting people and their environments from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. The 3D printed products provide solutions that reduce development time and costs traditionally associated with fabrication and tooling, as well as production lead time.

rp+m and its partner, Radiation Protection Technologies, target bundled solutions for lead(Pb) replacement for the medical imaging and aerospace markets. The company has ordered an M-Flex™ machine to develop solutions in bonded tungsten, which replaces lead (Pb), with a Restriction of Use of Hazardous Substances (“RoHS”) compliant solution.

Rick Lucas, ExOne’s chief technology officer, commented, “3D printed bonded tungsten is a great solution for radiation shielding because the M-Flex™ can create complex shapes for these applications that would be difficult to create with conventional methods of manufacturing. Our collaboration with rp+m demonstrates the power of ExOne’s strategy in engaging customers in the early stages of the materials development process, yielding direct applications in new markets.”

Matt Hlavin, chief executive officer of rp+m noted, “We believe ExOne’s M-Flex™ machine is unique because of its ability to use multiple types of material and the machine’s fast print speeds. The ExOne team is clearly committed to forming strategic relationships with innovators, such as rp+m, to drive their 3D technology to new frontiers. rp+m will continue to work with ExOne to develop other materials and applications for the M-Flex™ machine.”

The firm’s Material Applications Laboratory (ExMAL) continues to have other materials under various stages of development. ExOne has been focused on 3D printing for industrial customers since 2005.

In other company news, ExOne recently announced that it has purchased land and will soon begin construction on a new facility in Gersthofen, Germany, in the district of Augsburg.

Upon completion, which is estimated to occur in the latter half of 2014, the facility will comprise approximately 150,700 sq ft of production, warehouse, service and R&D space as well as approximately 27,600 sq ft for offices.

The firm will be consolidating its five existing leased facilities in Augsburg which currently occupy an aggregate of approximately 77,500 sq ft into its new facility, providing expansion capacity to support its global growth strategy.

Rainer Hoechsmann, general manager of ExOne GmbH, commented, “We were fortunate to secure a strategic location for our new facility, located in an industrial region directly on a German autobahn. This provides easy access to our growing customer base, our vendors, as well as our employees. Consolidating all of our activities, which include production, warehousing, a production service center, an R&D lab, as well as our European headquarters, into a single facility will further improve our efficiency, enhancing our ability to service our customers.”

ExOne has engaged GOLDBECK Süd GmbH for the design of its new facility, and expects to engage them for the construction of this facility. Total costs for the land and facilty are estimated at approximately $20 million.

www.exone.com