Nexa3D integrating Siemens factory automation across QLS portfolio

Polymer 3D printer company Nexa3D is teaming up with Siemens to bring its AM production systems up to speed for Industry 4.0 connectivity. The companies will leverage their respective areas of expertise to standardize Nexa3D’s whole Quantum Laser Sintering (QLS) product line to Siemens’ factory automation and computing technologies. (Earlier this year Nexa3D acquired NXT Factory, the developer of QLS technology.)

Through the partnership, Nexa3D says it will commercially launch the QLS-350 polymer production 3D printer powered by Siemens’ factory automation controls by the first quarter of 2021. Broadly speaking, the partnership will emphasize the importance in the AM industry of connectivity, digital twin sensing and data acquisition to achieve lights-out, reliable industrial manufacturing at scale.

“We are very pleased to join forces with Nexa3D and together unleash the power and potential of our products to create more resilient and sustainable supply chains,” said Tim Bell, Head of Additive Manufacturing, Siemens Industry, Inc. “Working together with Nexa3D, we are bringing decades of proven Siemens factory automation experience and technology to additive manufacturing to help customers mainstream mission critical production tools for future manufacturing strategies.”

Kuba Graczyk, Head of Thermoplastic Additive Business at Nexa3D, added: “We are very excited to partner with Siemens, the world’s leading provider of factory automation and digitization technologies, to jointly deliver the next generation of manufacturing capabilities to our customers. We believe that this collaboration is essential given the strengths of the 3D printing industry as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and this is the right time to realize the combined potential that this partnership unlocks for the benefit of our expanding customer base.”