Materialise Buys Identify3D

Materialise has acquired Identify3D, a company that develops software to encrypt, distribute and trace the flow of digital parts across supply chains. The acquisition of Identify3D helps make Materialise’s CO-AM platform a secure platform for distributed manufacturing, according to Materialise.

The Identify3D product suite encrypts, distributes and traces the flow of digital parts, preventing counterfeits and ensuring that maliciously or inadvertently modified, substandard or uncertified parts cannot enter the physical supply chain. It also allows designers and manufacturing engineers to couple designs with specific production criteria, such as a designated user, a type of machine, or material to control the production process and to meet the original manufacturing specifications, the companies report.

The Materialise CO-AM Software Platform gives manufacturers cloud-based access to a full range of software tools that allow them to plan, manage and optimize all steps of the 3D printing process. The acquisition of Identify3D allows Materialise to add a security layer to CO-AM.

“We believe that the factory of the future will not be a single, central location,” says Fried Vancraen, CEO of Materialise. “Instead, future manufacturing, enabled by smart technologies like 3D printing, will take place at multiple digital production sites, distributed around the world, closer to customers. This acquisition allows manufacturers to secure the flow of digital parts and maintain a competitive advantage.”

With this acquisition, Materialise says it addresses customer concerns about data security and integrity and makes CO-AM the most secure software platform for distributed manufacturing.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.

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