Major agreement for the distribution in Spain of the liquid metal 3D printer Xerox Elemx. With this objective, Xerox has just joined Grupo Solitium, an IT services and equipment and print management company that has a line specialized in additive manufacturing.
The Xerox 3D printer uses commercially available aluminum wire to produce quality parts at a lower cost than traditional production methods. In this way, companies can manufacture the parts they need, when and where they need them, reducing shipping costs and increasing the resilience of the supply chain.
With a team of 1,200 people and a annual turnover of more than 186 million euros, Grupo Solitium is specialized in the distribution of printing management solutions for companies. It works with the main manufacturers in the market, including Xerox, with whom it has been working for more than 30 years. Solitium has always been committed to being at the forefront in all its lines of business. A good example is the 3D division, which has been growing and specializing in all additive manufacturing technologies on the market rapidly in recent years.
“The need to offer our customers the most innovative additive manufacturing solutions requires significant research by the 3D team. At Solitium we bet on companies like Xerox, which have an important track record, which give us confidence. In addition, we look for teams like ElemX that can fit well in the industry”, says Miguel Ángel Mora, head of the 3D engineering department at Grupo Solitium.
Advantages and applications
Companies are increasing their commitment to sustainability and Xerox ElemX is going to help reduce carbon footprint, by enabling fast, on-demand manufacturing to proactively react to market volatility. For Miguel Ángel Mora: “Aluminum printing is not as common in the industry. Although there is other equipment that prints on aluminum, the ElemX printer allows us to do it at a lower cost, in a less complex way and, above all, with less risk. Working with metal powder carries a certain risk that, in the case of the Xerox printer, which works with aluminum coil, is reduced”.
As indicated by the person in charge of the 3D engineering department of Grupo Solitium, “any company that manufactures is likely to introduce 3D printing technologies in its production processes, and be self-sufficient without the need to depend on a third party. You can, for example, manufacture tools when you need them and avoid having the machine stop due to lack of spare parts.”.
These advantages and the variety of applications offered by ElmX make it a very interesting proposition for companies in the industry, automotive and aeronautics.
“ElemX produces quality parts with fast lead times and low total cost of ownership compared to other technologies on the market. The current socioeconomic context shows us that it is key to have innovative equipment that translates an investment into efficiency and autonomy”, says Luis Heras, director of Marketing for Southern Europe at Xerox. “We are excited about this agreement with Grupo Solitium, a company with the muscle and knowledge to expand Xerox’s aluminum 3D printing customer base in Spain.”.
