3D Systems partners with Konica Minolta in order to spur mainstream 3D printing adoption. Konica Minolta is an original equipment manufacturer, and the strategic alliance would accelerate 3D Systems’ placement in the mainstream marketplace. In an effort to take 3D printing to the near ubiquitous placement as traditional printing and office equipment, such a partnership was inevitable and the parties involved happened to be the two with the means and foresight to carry it forward.
The partnership will take advantage of the strengths found in both companies. 3D Systems is a pioneer in the 3D printing field with previous innovations dating back to 1989. Their production grade manufacturing extends to aerospace, automotive, specific medical devices and various art and fashion industries. 3D Systems offers this track record of technological innovation to Konica Minolta, which brings its impressive reach within manufacturing and distribution. Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A functions as a leader in enterprise content management, technology optimization and cloud services with solutions (hence the name) intended to help organizations improve their speed to market, manage technology costs and facilitate the exchange of information in an effort to increase productivity.
“Our goal is to arm our nationwide, exceptional sales organization with the cutting-edge products and services they need to grow their businesses and gain a competitive edge,” said Kevin Kern, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. “By teaming up with 3DS, the recognized industry leader, and offering the most comprehensive suite of 3D printers materials and services, we’re able to do just that.”
In their first order of business, Konica Minolta plans to resell two of 3D System’s more impressive products: ProJet® 3500 Series Professional 3D Printer and ProJet® 660 Professional 3D Printer. The former ideal for engineering and mechanical manufacturing environments, while the latter works perfectly for photorealistic modelling. It promises to be an impressive start for the partnership. The goal is to accelerate an ushering in of the new era in manufacturing readily available with 3D printing. If properly managed and developed, the 3DS/Konica Minolta partnership could provide blueprints for future 3DP business models.
Source: 3D Systems
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