3-D Printing Sector Ideas

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>>> GE expands its German 3-D metal printer Concept Laser with plans for bigger headquarters


By Ciara Linnane

Mar 8, 2017



http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ge-expands-its-german-3-d-metal-printer-concept-laser-with-plans-for-bigger-headquarters-2017-03-08?siteid=bigcharts&dist=bigcharts



General Electric Co. GE, +1.27% said Wednesday it is aggressively expanding German 3-D metal printing company Concept Laser GmbH, in which it purchased a 75% stake in mid-December. GE has increased the number of employees at the company to 244 from 200 and is expected to reach 350 to 400 people by early 2018. Most of the new hires will be in engineering and technicians, GE said in a statement. GE is planning a big expansion of the company's headquarters in Lichtenfels with new space planned for manufacturing, product development, testing and administration. The company also has operations in the U.S., in Grapevine, Texas, and in China.

GE has been on a buying spree of 3-D metal printing companies of late. In 2016, it acquired Sweden's Arcam AB and Germany's SLM Solutions Group AG for a combined $1.4 billion. Those moves were aimed at pushing the company into 3-D printing as a way to make aircraft components and other parts.

3-D printing involves using digital designs and modeling software with laser technology to create parts that are usually lighter and more durable than traditionally manufactured parts because they need less welding and machining. But much of the promise of the market is the extra design possibilities for engineers. GE shares were flat Wednesday, and are down 5.5% in the year so far. The Ark Invest's 3D Printing ETF PRNT, -2.37% has gained 5% in the same time frame, while the S&P 500 SPX, -0.08% has gained 5.7%.

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