Florida-based metal 3D printing service Sintavia has announced the acquisition of QC Laboratories, Inc. (QC Labs), a non-destructive testing (NDT) services company also based in Florida. With the purchase of QC Labs, Sintavia is aiming to expand its NDT operations to the commercial aerospace market, with particular attention paid to surface finish conformance testing.
The two companies have previously collaborated to create NDT metrics for additive manufacturing. Following the purchase, QC Labs is still expected to operate as a stand-alone subsidiary of Sintavia. “We have worked with QC Labs for a number of years to develop surface finish inspection metrics that are relevant for the additive manufacturing industry,” commented Doug Hedges, Sintavia’s President and Chief Technology Officer.
“Today’s announcement is a natural extension of this same process, and we are looking forward to deepening the relationship with QC Labs as we continue to develop acceptable NDT metrics for production AM components.”
Developing NDT testing in additive manufacturing
Founded in 1965, QC Labs specializes in supplying NDT services to the aerospace and defense industries, and is both Nadcap and AS9110 certified. The company has two locations in Florida, and one more in Ohio, where it provides the following NDT processes: Radiographic (X-ray & Gamma), Fluorescent Penetrant, Ultrasonic, Magnetic Particle, and Eddy Current Inspections.
“For more than 50 years, QC Labs has been trusted by critical industries, including Aerospace & Defense, to deliver high quality NDT services,” explains John Ahow, QC Labs’ General Manager. QC Labs’ processes are approved by various companies, including the likes of General Electric (GE), Lockheed Martin and Honeywell Aerospace. Ahow hopes that QC Labs’ trusted NDT services will now help to enhance the additive manufacturing industry after having been acquired by Sintavia:
“It is very exciting to apply these same services to the developing field of additive manufacturing through Sintavia.”
Advancing metal AM for the oil & gas sector
Sintavia was founded in 2012, and has since established itself as a metal 3D printing expert for the aerospace, automotive, and oil & gas sector. The company uses powder bed fusion 3D printers from Concept Laser, SLM Solutions, and EOS to serve its customers.
Recently, Sintavia announced it had opened a new 55,000 square foot facility in Florida. It reportedly houses more than $25 million worth of equipment, including medium and large-scale metal 3D printers, post-processing machinery, EDMs, and wet booths. The facility is expected to employ 130 people and produce over $100 million in revenue annually.
Sintavia has also collaborated with Texas-headquartered metal alloys specialist, Howco. Both companies signed a term sheet to advance additive manufacturing in the oil and gas sector. Last year in 2018, Sintavia had also received an investment from Sumitomo Corporation of America, a subsidiary of one of the largest Japanese corporations, Sumitomo Group, which also owns Howco. The money was invested to influence the oil and gas industry through additive manufacturing.
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