Hexagon acquires metal additive manufacturing software specialists CADS Additive GmbH
“The acquisition of CADS Additive enables us to provide our customers with integrated tools that empower manufacturing teams to reduce waste and increase efficiency as they move from prototyping to production.”
Hexagon has acquired metal additive manufacturing (AM) software specialist CADS Additive GmbH. The Austrian company will operate within Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, as its relationship with the global giants, which started in 2021, deepens.
Key information:
- Hexagon has announced that it has acquired metal additive manufacturing software specialists CADS Additive GmbH.
- The Austrian company develops software that simplifies the process of 3D printing on powder bed fusion machines.
- The two companies have been working together since 2021, with CADS Additive providing support for Hexagon’s Simufact Additive process simulation software.
CADS Additive software guides users through the build preparation process, helping users to turn design files into printer instructions. This helps simplify the process of 3D printing on powder bed fusion (PBF) machines and improves manufacturing productivity.
With the two company’s collaborative efforts over the last two years, there are multiple instances where Hexagon is already utilising CAD Additive’s technologies. Hexagon’s Simufact Additive process simulation software is already integrated with CAD Additive’s build preparation and support structure. Through this collaboration, users can adjust the orientation and support structure of 3D prints, which allows for both improved quality and workflow.
Another example of the existing collaboration between the two companies can be seen with Hexagon’s Nexus digital reality platform. The software is already connected to CAD Additive’s AM Studio software. The software brings additive manufacturing workflow to computer-aided design (CAD) model preparation, build preparation, simulation-based optimisations, quality and production intelligence, and the automation of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to finish parts.
"Our investments reflect the growing importance of additive manufacturing, which has huge potential but has been held back by a fragmented ecosystem that means manufacturers are not getting the results they need fast enough. The acquisition of CADS Additive enables us to provide our customers with integrated tools that empower manufacturing teams to reduce waste and increase efficiency as they move from prototyping to production," said Paolo Guglielmini, President and CEO of Hexagon. "Opening up the Nexus platform to our ecosystem partners and providing building blocks like CADS Additive helps customers improve their processes throughout the manufacturing value chain and realise the potential of industrial additive manufacturing."