Investment in Metal Additive Manufacturer Helps Growth Plans in Key End Markets

Investment in Metal Additive Manufacturer Helps Growth Plans in Key End Markets

Although the terms “3D printing” and “rapid prototyping” can be used to identify a specific process that is making waves in the manufacturing world, these are actually subsets of what’s known as additive manufacturing (AM).

Additive manufacturing uses data computer-aided-design (CAD) software or 3D object scanners to direct hardware to deposit material, layer upon layer, in precise geometric shapes. As its name implies, additive manufacturing adds material to create an object. By contrast, when you create an object by traditional means, it is often necessary to remove material through milling, machining, carving, shaping or other means.

While additive manufacturing seems new to many, it has actually been around for several decades. In the right applications, additive manufacturing delivers a perfect trifecta of improved performance, complex geometries and simplified fabrication. As a result, opportunities abound for those who actively embrace this process.

To that end, SCOA recently invested in Sintavia, LLC, a leading Tier One metal additive manufacturer based in Davie, FL, with the intention of leveraging SCOA’s network in the global Aerospace and Oil & Gas industries, while accelerating Sintavia’s stated growth plans throughout the world. 

From aluminum to steel to titanium and more, Sintavia is the global leader for independent metal AMfor critical industries, including Aerospace & Defense and Oil & Natural Gas. With high-speed printers co-located alongside precision post processing equipment, a full complement of mechanical testing equipment, and a full metallurgical and powder laboratory, Sintavia is able to optimize parameters, serially manufacture, and audit quality parts for critical industries. 

“SCOA has spent decades building an enormous global network within several industries, including Aerospace and Oil & Gas,” said Kevin Hyuga, SVP and General Manager of SCOA’s Construction and Transportation Systems Group. “We believe Sintavia’s highly advanced technology will add immediate value to our current business relationships, and position us for even greater business opportunities in the future.”

“With SCOA as a long-term partner, we recognize that we are aligning ourselves with a global leader in multiple end markets that is committed to supporting our growth,” said Brian R. Neff, Sintavia’sChairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Demand for Sintavia’s brand of quality AM production has boomed this year, and we recognize that in order to fully meet this demand over the coming years we will need to find a partner to help us manage growth. We believe we have found that partner in SCOA.”

In addition to supporting Sintavia’s growth and penetrating key end markets, the partnership is expected to generate additional synergistic benefits. The parties see potential in Sumitomo group companies to develop solutions, alongside strategic partners in the Aerospace industry, to optimize products by leveraging AM technology.

Another example of how the partnership could leverage SCOA’s subsidiaries and affiliated companies is through Sumitomo’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Howco, an integrated supply chain partner for the global Oil & Gas industry. Howco provides steel alloys, turnkey machined and assembled components, and other products for upstream segments of the Oil & Gas sector, for which they will seek business development opportunities together with Sintavia in specific industries.

Additionally, Sintavia is committed to the highest quality standards in the industry, and holds Nadcap, AS9100, ISO17025, and ANAB accreditation, as well as being OASIS registered and ITAR compliant.

“We are currently supplying titanium materials to the aerospace industry for subtractive manufacturing, which is the traditional casting and forging process,” said Akira Kudo, Product Manager in SCOA’s Light Metals and Specialty Steel Sheet Unit. “Maybe this traditional manufacturing will continue to be mainstream for a while. However, we definitely feel that additive manufacturing can be a game changer to the value chain of this industry. Sintavia is one of the frontrunners in the AM industry, and we feel that working together with Sintavia is a great opportunity for us to be aware of future business potential.”

In the fall of 2018, Sintavia acquired a SLM500 additive manufacturing (AM) machine to its vertically integrated in-house supply chain. The SLM500 is a large-scale, multi-laser industrial printer with a build envelope of 500 x 280 x 365mm, and the twelfth machine installed at Sintavia for volume production. 

“With the addition of the SLM500 we will have doubled our production capacity in the last six months,” Neff said this September at the International Machine Technology Show in Chicago. “With a strong increase in customer demand for large-scale parts and faster production speeds, we can operate with no less than a dozen machines to meet capacity demands head-on in our current facility. As we grow into our new facility in Hollywood, FL, our machine capacity will more than double again by the end of next year.”

With the delivery of the SLM500, Sintavia operates a total of twelve machines in its South Florida facility: five EOS printers (two M400-4s, one M400-1, and two M290s), four SLM printers (one SLM500, two 280HL twin lasers, and one 280HL single laser), two GE Additive printers (one Concept M2 single laser, and one Arcam Q20+), and a TRUMPF TruPrint 3000 laser printer. The company expects to more than double its capacity to 25 machines in 2019 after it moves into its new Hollywood, FL, facility in the spring.

For more information, contact Kevin Hyuga at kenichi.hyuga@sumitomocorp.com