Company Announcements

3D Systems Announces Significant Milestone in Commercialization of Oqton Manufacturing OS

Source: GlobeNewswire
3D Systems Announces Significant Milestone in Commercialization of Oqton Manufacturing OS
  • Strategic partner Baker Hughes deploys Oqton Manufacturing OS as its production solution for additive-driven manufacturing workflow in Houston, Texas
  • Enables on-demand additive manufacturing for regulated markets, improves efficiency & enables scalability leveraging power of real-time monitoring
  • Provides full factory-floor workflow integration, automation, control, & optimization from part design through inspection and certification
  • Facilitates, expedites order management process for end-to-end record control, traceability
  • Oqton additive production software catalyzing additive manufacturing use in highly regulated industries — total market for manufacturing operations management software expected to exceed $52 billion by 2032

ROCK HILL, S.C., Sept. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD), announced it has achieved a significant milestone in commercializing Oqton Manufacturing OS. This solution is designed to enable on-demand additive manufacturing (AM) in regulated markets by providing full factory-floor workflow integration thus transforming how products are brought to market. Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, is now in full production with Oqton Manufacturing OS in its central manufacturing facilities in Houston, Texas. This marks a significant milestone in the commercial software agreement Baker Hughes entered with Oqton, a wholly owned, independently operated subsidiary of 3D Systems, in March 2023 and reinforces the companies’ shared vision to support decentralized manufacturing. The successful implementation of this solution by Baker Hughes demonstrates the Oqton Manufacturing OS’ ability to accelerate the design and production of additively manufactured parts across the entire manufacturing workflow to increase efficiency and facilitate regulatory compliance.

Baker Hughes began using Oqton Manufacturing OS and the Oqton operating system in June 2024 to scale the role of AM within its manufacturing workflow without compromising quality or the user experience. The system integration enables Baker Hughes to efficiently scale its production output while minimizing investments in the support structure. Additionally, the end-to-end system facilitates the monitoring of key performance indicators through the production workflow. For build monitoring alone, Baker Hughes realized a 98% reduction in active monitoring engineering time, saving 136 engineering hours per printer annually. Root cause analysis has also decreased 98% through Oqton’s automated reporting. Additionally, Baker Hughes realized an 18% reduction in costs associated with scrap due to real-time actionable alerts during part production.

Oqton Manufacturing OS helps customers move from prototyping to a repeatable, high-quality production additive manufacturing process, with full traceability from raw material through finished component which is essential for high-reliability applications. Oqton Manufacturing OS manages, optimizes, automates, monitors, and traces actions and data to increase throughput, scale production, and maximize operational efficiency. The solution is designed to address all key aspects of an end-to-end manufacturing workflow including:

  • Order management via a customer and supplier portal for order intake, capacity and demand planning, and quoting and approvals.
  • Engineering through 3DXpert enabling design for additive manufacturing (DfAM), build process preparation, simulation, AM inspection, and digital rights management for functional efficiency.
  • Digital warehousing that provides user access segregation control with multifacility workflow management.
  • An additive manufacturing-based MES (manufacturing execution system) enables operational excellence, management and traceability.
  • Production monitoring based on internally developed IP uses analytic-driven and deep learning capabilities to detect and alert anomalies in real-time.

“We are pleased to achieve deployment of this solution with our strategic partner, Baker Hughes,” said Reji Puthenveetil, EVP, additive solutions & chief commercial officer, 3D Systems. “Oqton Manufacturing OS’ holistic approach to manufacturing, alongside Baker Hughes’ expertise in production for regulated industrial environments, has enabled us to demonstrate the real-world impact of this unique solution. Following this key demonstration of Manufacturing OS’ ability to drive efficiencies, increase automation and achieve savings in complex industrial environments, we are looking forward to its continued adoption.”

“The Manufacturing OS production software improves efficiency through the automation of the complex process, from order requirements, design revision controls, qualified build setups, traceability and reporting. It provides the tools to industrialize at scale the manufacturing without compromising the quality assurance of its production,” said Jim Apostolides, senior vice president, enterprise operational excellence, Baker Hughes.

According to Spherical Insights1, the global manufacturing operations management software market was valued at $16.4 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $52.7 billion by 2032.

Oqton Manufacturing OS enables the next generation of manufacturing automation connecting existing applications and machines across facilities in multiple sites to enable collaboration. When combined with additive manufacturing solutions, it reduces time to final high-quality, reliable, and high-performance components designed to meet or exceed design criteria. The experts within Oqton, and more broadly 3D Systems, have extensive experience helping customers in regulated industries meet these goals through tailored solutions. As a result, manufacturers can produce parts more efficiently while reducing costs.

For more information on Manufacturing OS, please visit the Oqton website.

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1 Spherical Insights, "Global Manufacturing Operations Management Software Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Component (Software, Services), By Deployment (On-premise, Cloud), By Enterprise Size (Large Enterprises, SMEs), By Application (Advanced Planning & Scheduling, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Labor Management, Inventory Management, Quality Management, Laboratory Management, Others), By End-use (Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Pharmaceuticals & Medical Equipment, Chemicals, Food & Beverages, Consumer Goods, Others) and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2022 – 2032". (December 2023)

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this release that are not statements of historical or current facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from historical results or from any future results or projections expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In many cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "believes," "belief," "expects," "may," "will," "estimates," "intends," "anticipates" or "plans" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based upon management’s beliefs, assumptions, and current expectations and may include comments as to the company’s beliefs and expectations as to future events and trends affecting its business and are necessarily subject to uncertainties, many of which are outside the control of the company. The factors described under the headings "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as other factors, could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected or predicted in forward-looking statements. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not, and should not be relied upon as a guarantee of future performance or results, nor will they necessarily prove to be accurate indications of the times at which such performance or results will be achieved. The forward-looking statements included are made only as of the date of the statement. 3D Systems undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements made by management or on its behalf, whether as a result of future developments, subsequent events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by law.

About 3D Systems
More than 35 years ago, 3D Systems brought the innovation of 3D printing to the manufacturing industry. Today, as the leading additive manufacturing solutions partner, we bring innovation, performance, and reliability to every interaction - empowering our customers to create products and business models never before possible. Thanks to our unique offering of hardware, software, materials, and services, each application-specific solution is powered by the expertise of our application engineers who collaborate with customers to transform how they deliver their products and services. 3D Systems’ solutions address a variety of advanced applications in healthcare and industrial markets such as medical and dental, aerospace & defense, automotive, and durable goods. More information on the company is available at www.3dsystems.com.

About Oqton
Oqton accelerates intelligent manufacturing by providing comprehensive software solutions for additive production— helping industrial and healthcare organizations drive innovation and efficiency. The company’s additive production software enables complete traceability and visibility across an organization, delivering - capabilities for image segmentation, additive design, build prep, MES, additive inspection, and simulation. Oqton is supported by partnerships with machine and scanner vendors, software partners, and ERP/CAD/PLM integrations. For more information, visit www.oqton.com or LinkedIn.

Investor Contact: investor.relations@3dsystems.com
Media Contact: press@3dsystems.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a72a75d2-7628-434a-861b-6f21541019bb