As usual, my recent conversation with Xact Metal revealed some interesting insights into the metal 3D printing industry.
The Pennsylvania company has been refining their compact metal 3D printer for several years, and each time I speak with the company’s CEO, Juan Mario Gomez, I learn something important.
The company has settled on a technology at this point, and has in recent years dramatically growing their reseller network. Now, however, they’re shifting to a different focus: applications.
Metal spinner 3D printed by Xact Metal [Source: Fabbaloo]
The prime focus of the company is to enhance the sphere of tooling. They are committed to assisting businesses in the production of factory tools using tool steel. The selection of this domain is based on their exhaustive studies indicating the lack of efficacious or budget-friendly solutions currently available.
The interaction with clients uncovered the fact that many of them need guidance to effectively implement the technology for their use. After weighing in on all factors, the company has come up with a comprehensive package of solutions to address the application issues faced by customers.
As an initial step, they have recruited an expert in the field who can offer detailed consultations with clients on the usage of this tech. The expert can demonstrate to the client how to correctly model and apply conformal cooling for their production requirements. This single step can potentially resolve most of the immediate challenges faced by the customer, but the company doesn’t stop there.
In order to further improve user-experience and enhance print quality, they have collaborated with Uddeholm, a prominent steel supplier. Their high-quality, corrosion-resistant tool steel is anticipated to significantly augment the overall results.
The fusion of these two components, together with Xact Metal’s fairly priced metal 3D printing platform, is projected to offer a robust solution for various small to mid-sized enterprises.
One of the significant hurdles, though, is the acceptance of change. During these difficult times, numerous companies are forgoing the high costs and significant efforts to incorporate additive technology in their production methodologies. By offering an economical platform, superior quality material, and relevant consulting, Xact Metal could potentially subvert the “This isn’t feasible” mindset in certain client scenarios.
Is it proving to be successful? It appears that way, as the indications from Gomez suggest that the firm’s sales have seen a twofold increase over the previous year. This is substantial and quite distinct from the leading 3D printing companies, most of which seem to have reached a saturation point.
These larger corporations are currently the hot topic of numerous debates as they have received colossal amounts of venture capital funds, seemingly with no foreseeable return. Their shortcomings have negatively affected the entire industry, making it increasingly difficult for anyone to secure funding.
On the other hand, we have smaller companies such as Xact Metal that have not taken the big investments, and instead proceed prudently in a step by step manner towards corporate success.
There should be more companies like Xact Metal.
Via Xact Metal
“Why did the 3D printer go to therapy? Because it had too many layers of unresolved issues!”
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