Quadrupling Manufacturing Space for 3D Printed Plastics, Rubbers, and Architected Foams
Adaptive3D, a leading provider of elastomeric solutions for additive manufacturing and a wholly owned subsidiary of Desktop Metal, Inc. (NYSE: DM), today announced it will be relocating its Plano headquarters to Richardson, Texas, quadrupling its space for manufacturing more of its innovative materials. The new 20,000 square-foot headquarters will be located at 1122 Alma Road in the Richardson Innovation Quarter – also known as the Richardson IQ® or The IQ® – a 1,200-acre urban district that serves as the City’s living laboratory for big ideas and groundbreaking technology within Texas’ premier tech hub.
The move, which will allow a large deployment of ETEC Xtreme 8K 3D printers to support demand for customer benchmarks and mid-volume manufacturing, is slated for mid-September. The new capacity will enable Adaptive3D to support development of and market interest in DuraChain™ materials, an all-new category of 3D printable resins that delivers two-part materials properties and durability in a single long-lasting vat of resin.
“The entire Desktop Metal family is delighted for Adaptive3D to be moving into the high-tech Richardson Innovation Quarter in partnership with the City of Richardson and The University of Texas at Dallas,” said Dr. Walter Voit, Founder and CEO of Adaptive3D and an Associate Professor of Materials Science & Engineering at UT Dallas. “This new facility gives our team the capacity to serve customers more effectively around the world—customers who need our DuraChain™ resins to make their products stronger, lighter, greener and more functional. It also positions us to take advantage of the incredible intellectual ecosystem of Richardson to help pioneer the next generations of manufactured goods and products.”
“We are excited to welcome Adaptive3D to Richardson,” said Richardson Mayor Paul Voelker. “The innovative technology that Adaptive 3D provides to companies around the world is another example of the Richardson IQ®’s role as the leading tech hub in Texas. This move also signals the strength and importance of partnerships with key academic institutions like UT Dallas and the role they play in fostering the collaborative creation of future-ready technologies within The IQ®.”
About DuraChain™ Materials Parts produced with standard acrylate-based resins used in DLP 3D printing today are prone to shattering or fracturing upon impact. For decades, the 3D printing industry has been working to incrementally improve these material properties and deliver more durable and elastomeric properties.
DuraChain photopolymers, which are printable exclusively on Desktop Metal’s ETEC brand printers, solve this challenge with a breakthrough approach that leverages a process called photo polymerization-induced phase separation (photo PIPS) to produce tough and resilient end-use parts while eliminating the need for a two-part resin. When illuminated during DLP printing, DuraChain materials phase separate into two parts at the nano level as they cure into a resilient, high-performing polymer network that offers a variety of thermal, mechanical and chemical benefits.
DuraChain’s growing family of flexible and durable resins includes:
About Desktop Metal Desktop Metal, Inc., based in Burlington, Massachusetts, is accelerating the transformation of manufacturing with an expansive portfolio of 3D printing solutions, from rapid prototyping to mass production. Founded in 2015 by leaders in advanced manufacturing, metallurgy, and robotics, the company is addressing the unmet challenges of speed, cost, and quality to make additive manufacturing an essential tool for engineers and manufacturers around the world. Desktop Metal was selected as one of the world’s 30 most promising Technology Pioneers by the World Economic Forum and named to MIT Technology Review’s list of 50 Smartest Companies. For more information, visit www.desktopmetal.com.
About the Richardson Innovation Quarter The Richardson Innovation Quarter, also known simply as Richardson IQ® or The IQ®, is a 1,200-acre urban hub in Richardson, Texas, with a rich heritage of innovation and entrepreneurship. As Texas’ premier tech hub, The IQ® is the City of Richardson’s living laboratory for big ideas and groundbreaking technology. The IQ® has historical significance as a home to Richardson’s leading technology and telecommunications firms making up the heart of the larger Telecom Corridor® area. Today it is home to Argo Data, Digital Realty, Ericsson, Honeywell, id Software, Raytheon, Siemens, Verizon and a multitude of smaller nano and other technology operations. In addition, corporate research and development, manufacturers, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, restaurants, entrepreneurs, designers, researchers, inventors, educators and students also represent a prominent presence within The IQ®. The Richardson IQ® comprises more than half of Richardson’s businesses and is home to 20 percent of the community’s employment base. For more information, visit richardsoniq.com.
Forward-looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks, uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including but not limited to, the risks and uncertainties set forth in Desktop Metal, Inc.’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Desktop Metal, Inc. assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.