Interview Blog: How will the AddUp & Zeda partnership benefit the AM Industry?

The partnership between AddUp and Zeda is set to benefit key industries such as aerospace and medical sectors. With Zeda’s expertise in additive manufacturing (AM) and AddUp’s advanced FormUp350 print system, customers will have access to expanded capabilities, reduced costs, and improved manufacturing efficiency.

After the news of such a major deployment of FormUp 350 Powder Bed Fusion machines to Zeda, we wanted to sit down with AddUp CEO, Rush LaSelle to get his take on what this partnership means for AddUp, Zeda, and key AM industries moving forward.

Who is Zeda?

Zeda is a leading technology solutions provider with the objective to better lives by investing in cutting-edge technologies, innovative companies, and groundbreaking ideas. The company’s foundation combines expertise from diverse industries, including AM, nanotech, precision manufacturing, and incubating new ideas. Greg Morris and the ZEDA team bring the experience of being the first to use metal additive, specifically Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), to revolutionize the way aircraft propulsion systems are designed and serviced today. The founding teams have expanded the use of additive to unlock an increasing number of applications within the aerospace and to accelerate the qualification of medical devices helping to improve patient outcomes.

What key industries will benefit from this partnership?

The key industries of focus will be the aerospace and medical sectors. The AM market within the medical industry was valued at $1.5 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $3.7 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 20.5%, according to a report by Research and Markets. The global aerospace AM market was valued at $0.9 billion and is expected to reach $3.3 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 21.6%, according to the same report. With this industry progression and projected market growth in mind, we are excited about our partnership with Zeda, a company that specializes in these sectors.

How will AddUp help support the growth of AM in the medical and aerospace sectors through this partnership with Zeda?

For Zeda customers, adding the AddUp FormUp350 print system to their stable additive equipment expands their capabilities and reduces the cost to deliver metal components. Initial applications will focus on the use of Titanium, Inconel, Aluminum, and Stainless Steel. Leveraging the FormUp 350’s four lasers, novel recoating strategy & monitoring systems reduce processing time during printing, delivers improved fine features & internal channels all while providing industry-leading surface finishes. These benefits reduce the need for support structures and reduce secondary processing costs and time. These features together will lead to a more efficient process for manufacturing AM parts for Zeda’s customers.

Our commitment to safer, cleaner, and more efficient manufacturing provides a foundation from which to realize design freedom and accelerated time-to-market with true industrial compliance. AddUp endeavors to deliver positive manufacturing outcomes using proven additive metal technologies forged by the uncompromising quality demanded by the factory floors upon which our company is built.

What does this partnership mean for AddUp customers?

For AddUp customers, the partnership affords immediate access to not only qualified FormUp printers for medical (13485) and aerospace (AS9100) within Zeda’s 75,000 square feet of manufacturing space in Cincinnati, OH, but offers a broad range of processes that envelope the printing process. These include; design support, simulation, cleaning, post processes, heat treatment and the requisite quality systems and traceability for the most demanding applications. With Zeda’s successful track record of serving regulated markets and the largest aerospace and medical customers in the world, companies can trust that they will get to market quickly and cost-effectively.