Desktop Metal Expands Line of Production Systems with New Printer Designed to Bridge Process Development and Mass Production of Large-Scale Metal Parts

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Desktop Metal​ (NYSE: DM), a leader in mass production and turnkey additive manufacturing solutions, today announced that the new P-1 printer has begun global shipments and joins the Production System™ alongside the flagship P-50 printer. Designed to serve as a bridge between process development and large-scale mass production of end-use metal parts, the P-1 leverages the same patent-pending Single Pass Jetting™ (SPJ) technology and key advantages of additive manufacturing for companies and research institutes even at the size and scale of serial production. The P-1 is now available for order and has already started shipping to first customers, including the Ford Motor Company, which will receive its printer this month.

“We know that industrial companies around the world are eager to start working with the P-50 production system and benefit from the fastest and most cost-effective way to mass-produce metal parts of all levels of complexity. “said Ric Fulop, CEO. and co-founder of Desktop Metal. “Adding the P-1 to our production systems portfolio is a key enabler for those companies looking to develop smaller-scale processes and materials before moving to mass production volumes. many companies and research institutes also want to leverage the economy and quality of SPJ technology for mid-volume mass production, making the P-1 an ideal fit and an excellent springboard for wide adoption of the technology. of Desktop Metal and the flagship P. -50 printer.

The Ford Motor Company was among the first to purchase the new P-1 production system.

“Ford has been active in 3D printing since 1988 with the acquisition of the third commercially available stereolithography (SLA) system; we are very pleased to be the first to adopt the P-1,” said Cynthia Flanigan, director, vehicle research and technology, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. “We anticipate that this new system will serve as an important tool in the development of our future advanced process and alloy implementation, allowing our researchers to investigate further metal binder jetting production opportunities at Ford Motor. Company. Our first collaboration with Desktop Metal highlighted the need for a lab-scale system aligned with production-scale system functionality so that we could further develop our expertise around this process.

A shared SPJ technology architecture enables direct process transfers between the P-1 and P-50

Created by the leading inventors of single-pass binder jetting and inkjet technology, the P-50 Production System is an industrial manufacturing solution designed to achieve speeds up to 100 times faster than conventional existing PBF additive manufacturing technologies.⁽¹⁾making it possible to produce up to millions of parts per year at competitive costs compared to conventional mass production techniques.

The P-1 offers a new form factor to bridge the gap between benchtop process development and mass production, leveraging the same patent-pending SPJ technology and print carriage design found on the P -50, but with improved process flexibility. Also similar to the P-50, the P-1 features a state-of-the-art print bar with advanced native 1200 dpi printhead technology that supports a wide variety of binders and an inert processing environment for support both non-reactive and reactive materials, a key advantage for companies and research institutions looking to experiment with a variety of materials. As a result, materials research and new application development conducted on the P-1 can be transferred directly to the P-50 for mass production, without the need to take this solution offline. more industrial manufacturing for R&D activities, enabling efficient process development. and new product launches.

“For many companies like Ford, the P-1 will serve as a learning lab for processes as they look to move into full production,” Fulop said. “Research institutes are also eager to adopt the P-1 production system to experiment, validate materials, and test a variety of use cases for metal binder jetting with a smaller build box that offers all the benefits of SPJ technology, including speed, quality, and reliability.

The P-1 offers economical metal part mass production for small and complex parts

The P-1’s SPJ technology is designed to print every layer in less than three seconds, including powder deposition, powder compaction, anti-ballistic, binder deposition and printhead cleaning . At this maximum build rate, the P-1 can achieve production rates 10 times higher than existing PBF systems⁽¹⁾ and fast enough to complete a full build in less than an hour. The P-1’s open materials platform and inert process environment allow customers to use low-cost, third-party metal injection molding powders on a variety of materials, making the P-1 suitable cost-effective series production of complex small parts in addition to smaller-scale process development activities. The powder recovered during the printing and depowdering process can be recycled for future use, resulting in additional cost savings and a more environmentally friendly manufacturing process. Additionally, the tool-less manufacturing process on the P-1 facilitates quick turnarounds to new jobs as well as the ability to print many complex geometries simultaneously with no print media required.

P-1 customers will also have access to Desktop Metal’s Fabricate® build preparation software, as well as the company’s new Live Sinter™ app, which dynamically simulates the sintering process and automatically generates print-ready geometries that compensate for shrinkage. and distortion that occur during sintering, minimizing process trial and error while improving accuracy.

The production system’s flagship printer, the P-50, is on schedule to begin volume commercial shipments in 2021, paving the way for mass production of end-use parts and unlocking throughput, repeatability and competitive parts costs. For more information on the P-1, P-50, and production system technology, visit https://www.desktopmetal.com/products/production.

About Desktop Metal

Desktop Metal, Inc., based in Burlington, Massachusetts, is accelerating manufacturing transformation with end-to-end 3D printing solutions. Founded in 2015 by leaders in advanced manufacturing, metallurgy and robotics, the company solves the unmet challenges of speed, cost and quality to make 3D printing an essential tool for engineers and manufacturers around the world. Desktop Metal was selected as one of the world’s 30 most promising technology pioneers by the World Economic Forum; named to MIT Technology Review’s 50 Smartest Companies list; and recognized among the most important innovations in engineering in Popular Science’s “Best of What’s New”. For more information, visit www.desktopmetal.com.

Forward-looking statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements generally relate to the future financial or operating performance of Desktop Metal. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words “believe”, “project”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “intend”, “strategy”, “future”, “opportunity ‘, ‘plan, ‘could’, ‘should’, ‘shall’, ‘would’, ‘will’, ‘will’, ‘will probably result’ and similar expressions, including the negatives of these terms. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, therefore, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein, including, but not limited to: (i) the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and actions taken by Desktop Metal, its customers and suppliers, and government authorities in response thereto; (ii) the possibility that the Company may be affected by other economic, business and/or competitive factors, including downturns in the highly competitive additive manufacturing industry; (iii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts and other expectations and to identify and realize additional opportunities; and (iv) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements”; Market, Ranking and Other Industry Data” in the registration statement on Form S-4 originally filed by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on September 15, 2020, as amended, and other documents filed by the Company with the latter. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information , future events or otherwise. The Company does not guarantee that it will achieve its expectations.

(1) Based on published speeds of mid-range single-laser powder bed laser fusion systems as of August 25, 2020.