AM Make focuses on mid-to-large-sized 3D printing technology.
EqualOcean has learned that AM Make, a provider of intelligent additive manufacturing solutions, has recently completed a Pre-A+ round of financing in the tens of millions of CNY. The round was led by a fund under Zhejiang University Holdings Group, with follow-on investment from existing shareholder Unity Ventures and 100 Summit Partners serving as a long-term financial advisor. The funds raised will be used for the development of new technologies and their commercial deployment.
Founded in 2020, AM Make's main business includes printing equipment, printing services, and a comprehensive system of software and hardware. As a provider of metal wire additive manufacturing equipment and services, the company is dedicated to providing high-quality intelligent additive manufacturing solutions for fields such as aerospace, shipbuilding, oil machinery, nuclear and hydropower, and new energy.
The metal wire additive manufacturing equipment is based on the DED (Directed Energy Deposition) 3D printing technology. It deposits metal wire materials through a nozzle mounted on a robotic multi-axis arm, using focused energy sources such as electric arcs, lasers, electron beams, or plasma to melt the material, and then constructs parts layer by layer.
The founder of AM Make, Xu Fangda, graduated from the Mechanical Engineering Department of Harbin Institute of Technology. During his Ph.D. studies at the University of Bath in the UK, he focused on research topics such as 3D printing control and monitoring. He was deeply involved in the development of DED wire technology, witnessing the technology evolve from a prototype to an industrial stage, and possesses the technical capability to apply 3D printing to mid-to-large-sized components.
Compared to traditional manufacturing, 3D printing technology has significant advantages in terms of material utilization rate, cost, and production cycle. With 3D printing, only the appropriate metal materials need to be selected, the model in the blank state needs to be modified, and the slicing path planning and relevant process parameters need to be confirmed to export the printing path. This can increase the material utilization rate by 3-5 times and significantly reduce costs. At the same time, the production speed is at least doubled due to the simplification of the initial model design and verification process. According to relevant cases, after adopting 3D printing technology, the production cycle of a certain component in the United States was shortened from 2 years to 2-3 months.
AM Make has independently developed the VEAM multi-laser coaxial wire additive manufacturing technology. The six high-power lasers can be adjusted independently to form a customized energy field, resulting in high printing precision and a surface roughness of up to 5 microns. This eliminates the mechanical treatment process of arc wire and correspondingly reduces the processing costs.
Currently, AM Make has two business models: equipment sales and printing services. Among them, the proportion of laser wire equipment shipments is expected to exceed 50%, and the proportion of laser wire is expected to increase further in the future.
3D printing is currently mainly used in special fields with high profit margins and small batch manufacturing. As traditional industries gradually accept the technology, the market size is expected to grow rapidly. Considering that 3D printing technology requires a certain level of familiarity, AM Make generally provides printing services in addition to selling equipment.
At the same time, AM Make has also launched a fully self-developed software management system, which includes functions such as printing path planning and process monitoring. This is beneficial for the standardized production of complex parts and allows for real-time monitoring of printing temperature, precision, and other performance parameters. Currently, AM Make supports printing of more than 24 types of metal materials. In the future, AM Make will achieve printing of more metal materials and improve 3D printing technology, production efficiency, and equipment cost reduction.
In terms of the team, the core team of AM Make comes from well-known domestic and foreign universities and cutting-edge technology companies, with rich experience in additive equipment, materials, processes, and software development. More than 50% of the related technical personnel are involved in these areas.