France’s AddUp acquires DED metal AM leader BeAM

AddUp, the French metal AM solutions company started by Fives and Michelin, has announced its acquisition of BeAM, a Strasbourg-based specialist in Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology. AddUp says that the 100% acquisition of BeAM will enable it to broaden its existing portfolio of metal additive manufacturing technologies—it now offers both DED metal and powder bed fusion AM—and subsequently better serve the needs of its clients.

BeAM was founded in 2012 in the French city of Strasbourg and has established itself as a leader in DED 3D printing technology. The company, which offers a small range of industrial metal AM systems, has used its AM technology to serve the aeronautics, defense and energy sectors primarily with the production of large-scale part production and part repair.

AddUp hopes BeAM’s DED metal AM technology will complement its laser beam melting (LBM) technology. Specifically, the company plans to use DED metal production systems for specific functions including producing large, highly complex components, repairing parts and feature addition. DED is particularly well suited to part repair and feature addition because it uses a focused energy source to melt and fuse metal materials as they are deposited. This method, in contrast to powder bed fusion metal AM systems, enables users to build parts on existing structures and repair damaged parts.

“Together, BeAM and AddUp will be uniquely positioned in the additive manufacturing market by offering their customers a comprehensive range of metal additive manufacturing solutions, with, in particular, training and consulting, 3D printing systems and the making of parts for Proof Of Concept (POC),” said Vincent Ferreiro, CEO of AddUp.

Though no details of the acquisition have been disclosed, AddUp seems confident that its purchase will further cement it as a leader in France’s metal additive manufacturing market. Currently, the young company—established jointly by Fives and Michelin in 2016—employs over 100 engineers for the development of new metal AM solutions. By acquiring BeAM it has joined the ranks of companies like DMG MORI and Trumpf which provide solutions for both DED and powder bed fusion AM.

“BeAM was at a key stage in its development with the broadening of its product line and its geographic expansion,” added Vincent Gillet, CEO of BeAM. “The arrival of AddUp and its shareholders, Fives and Michelin, enables us to secure BeAM’s development and to benefit from their industrial expertise and the pooling of our respective resources.”