Arcam AB fka AMAVF

[Nobahamas]

La Bull translated

Thanks ZZZ63

On Monday Arcam launched a product upgrade. In this blog, I try to give some thoughts on what it might mean.
We start by taking a step back. The FDA released last week guidelines for AM-made medical implants, see link.
http://www.raps.org/Regulatory-Focus/News/2016/05/09/24901/FDA-Issues-Long-Awaited-3D-Printing-Guidance-for-Medical-Devices/
I would like to highlight the following parts of the text;
"AM has the advantage of Facilitating the creation of anatomically-matched devices and surgical instrumentation by using a patient's own medical imaging. Another advantage is the ease in fabricating complex geometric structures, allo wing the creation of engineered porous structures, tortuous internal channels, and internal support Structures That would not ask moonrise possible using traditional (non-additive) manufacturing approaches.
However, FDA Says That additive manufacturing finns poses unique challenges When it comes to device characterization, validation and verification. "
The discussion of Arcam and AM centers often around productivity, ie the construction speed. Many see the next 10 kW-gun (compared with today's 3 kW-canon) as Arcam developed in the so-called Fast-EBM project as a major game changer.
CEO Magnus René, however, has repeatedly claimed that
1) productivity increases continuously with around 15-20% per year.
2) The stock market put too much focus on increased productivity. For many applications, productivity is sufficient to make AM competitive with traditional manufacturing today. The parameters that the AM industry needs to improve is rather verification, validation, process control. In short, the technology is up to standard but needs industrialization. It is fully in line with the challenges that the FDA highlighted in the second paragraph above clipped.
In this light becomes Monday product release from Arcam the more interesting. Some focused on the figure of "up to 25% higher productivity." I think the key is rather "automatic calibration and increased beam control"
http://www.arcamgroup.com/finansiella-rapporter/pressmeddelanden/cisionarticle/C8F862CA2CB3DA2A/?lang=sv
An interesting follow-up question is whether customers felt a forthcoming upgraded version and therefore held back orders in Q1, which would explain the weak order intake. According to conversations I have had the company is not necessarily the view. However, I believe that the potential for volume orders has been improved with the new machines, which is more interesting in itself.