Arburg is withdrawing from additive manufacturing, canning its portfolio that includes the Freeformer and innovatiQ technologies for polymer 3D printing.
No mention has been made of ArburgAdditive being sold off or spun out, leaving the viewpoint that Arburg – a privately owned company – perceives its additive technologies as having some future value and potential resurrection.
A giant in injection moulding, the launch of the Freeformer industrial manufacturing system and the associated Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) production process in 2013 was seen as a sign of 3D printing entering the mass manufacturing sphere. Instead, Arburg is abandoning its 3D printing arm, citing the ‘unique technological features’ of its Freeformer as a reason behind it not reaching its ‘economic goals’ for this business segment, and putting some blame at the door of the global 3D printing market failing to develop ‘as expected overall’.
“This business decision was made after careful evaluation and consideration of the current market situation and the current economic parameters,” said Dr Armin Schmiedeberg, chairman of the advisory board at Arburg.
“The current economic situation also requires us to concentrate fully on our core business, injection moulding machine construction.”
Only last year Arburg announced its latest model in its Freeformer family of pellet-fed 3D printers, the Freeformer 550-3X, and the innovatiQ TiQ 8, and teased more innovative future 3D printing applications.
With a renewed focus on sustainability and digitisation in its core markets, Arburg is like many companies facing a tough 2025 with its potential customers facing high interest rates and potential tariffs as challenges to new machine investment.
The approximately 40 employees of ArburgAdditive, including from sales, development, application technology and assembly, will be given the opportunity to transfer to Arburg, so that customers can continue to rely on competent contacts and long-standing experts. Existing customers will receive full support directly from Arburg including supply of spare parts and servicing.
