Business View Magazine | April 2020

16 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE APRIL 2020 Using AI, Sigma’s software can, over time, determine the signature of metal structural flows, monitoring for multiple variables such as proper laser sintering or warpage, thus providing manufacturers the quality assurance they need to scale production and fully commit to additive manufacturing. “We provide quality assurance in-process rather than post-process,” said Sigma Labs Executive Chairman Mark Ruport. “Think of it as akin to a CT scan of the part while it’s being made.” Monumental Move to Commercialization In an industry-first collaboration, Sigma Labs recently announced a joint sales agreement to commercialize SGLB’s PrintRite3D technology, which has been integrated with the Materialise Control Platform. A recognized global leader in 3D printing software, Materialise provides the widely used Materialise Control Platform (MCP), an embedded hardware and software solution that provides better control over the AM process by giving full control to the end user. Sigma’s software is the missing element, providing much- needed controls for quality assurance. This joint agreement not only validates the efficacy of SGLB’s quality assurance software, it also establishes commercial viability. “We’re coming out of a long stretch of testing and validation,” said SGLB president and CEO John Rice. “We’ve said that 2020 is the year when we finally take advantage of all that, and this announcement is a reflection of that.” The partnership with Materialise marks a noteworthy opportunity for Sigma Labs. Materialise incorporates three decades of 3D-printing experience into a range of software solutions and 3D printing services, which together form the backbone of the 3D-printing industry. Now that the two companies have achieved integration, they will offer a unique product solution for retrofit of existing machines, OEM machine integration and closed-loop control. “Growing our partnership with Materialise is a significant milestone for Sigma Labs as we expand our footprint in the market and add momentum to our quest to broaden industry access to our groundbreaking PrintRite3D software,” said Ruport. “The alignment is a natural step for both companies, as Materialise has a strong presence in the additive-manufacturing market and a reputation for quality products. Commercializing and jointly selling this integrated solution will benefit both companies as well as advance the forward momentum of innovation in the 3D manufacturing industry.” SGLB is in an enviable position with a market projected to exceed $2 billion, based on just the estimated number of 3D metal printers shipped in the past few years. What’s even more striking is that there is no known competition for that $2 billion market. Sigma Labs appears to be the sole provider of real-time, in-process, quality-control software for the metal additive manufacturing market, capable of running on the majority of metal printers in the market, on single, dual, or quad laser machines. Beyond the huge existing market, 3D printing is booming, projected to grow at a CAGR of 32.5% from 2019 to 2024, and Sigma should be able to ride the crest of that wave as well. A large untapped market in search of solutions, a significant technological head start, strategic partnerships and alliances in place, multiple patents already awarded with more pending and the sole provider with significant barriers to entry from competition — Sigma Labs looks to be more than ready to launch commercialization and certainly appears capable of delivering the type of rewards investors dream about. With the availability of critical quality-control systems now in place, the untapped potential of 3D metal printing looms large on the manufacturing horizon.