Aerotec acquires 3D printing specialist Apworks

The aerostructures supplier Premium Aerotec has acquired Apworks, the 3D print specialist. Both partners complement the other’s capabilities and aim to profit from the fast-paced growth in the 3D printing market together. Premium Aerotec and Airbus, the previous owner of Apworks, have agreed to keep the purchasing price confidential.

Premium Aerotec is a pioneer in implementing metal 3D printing for aviation. The company is the first aviation supplier that was able to introduce 3D printed titanium components into the structure of aircraft. Premium Aerotec has full capability throughout the entire additive manufacturing process chain, from product conception to development and the actual printing process through to the downstream process steps, right up until the qualified parts are handed over to the client.

Apworks was founded as an Airbus Group spin-off in 2013 and has since positioned itself as a technology driver for manufacturing methods for the future, with a clear focus on metal additive manufacturing. The company’s strengths lie in its fast-paced, client-oriented and highly qualitative solution finding throughout the entire value added chain for additive manufacturing and its links to a great many industries.

“Our investment has created a powerful alliance between Premium Aerotec and Apworks which opens up all of the opportunities in additive manufacturing for both actual and future clients", said Dr. Thomas Ehm, chairman of the Executive Board at Premium Aerotec. “We want to actively support Apworks on its dynamic growth journey. With our experience as a pioneer in metal 3D printing and our knowledge of the tried and trusted quality standards in aerospace, we are the industrial reference point for Apworks’ innovative ideas.”

“With Premium Aerotec coming on board, we can take a huge step closer to our vision of industrial mass production using additive manufacturing technology”, said Joachim Zettler, managing director of Apworks. “The aim is to combine Apworks’ highly dynamic approach in solving the issues posed by our clients’ additive manufacturing questions with Premium Aerotec’s decades of production experience to elicit maximum benefit for our clients from each and every industry, throughout the entire additive manufacturing value added chain.”

www.premium-aerotec.com

www.apworks.de/en