3Discovered Takes on GPI as the Latest Member of Their 3D Printing Service Bureau Network
Clare Scott
Every industry, or even every individual, can tell you something different about why they love 3D printing. For many industries, though, easy customization is at the top of the list. The medical industry is using it to create patient-specific treatments that were never possible before, and the automotive industry is finding it easy to replace antiquated parts that haven’t been in production for years. Chicago-based startup 3Discovered was founded for the purpose of facilitating the production, buying and selling of bespoke or hard-to-find industrial parts and products by connecting clients with 3D printing service bureaus, and the many partnerships they’ve formed in their three years of existence show that what they’re doing is working.
3Discovered’s latest partnership has been formed with GPI Prototype and Manufacturing Services, Inc., an Illinois service bureau specializing in metal 3D printing. GPI was one of the first metal additive manufacturing service providers in the country, having begun offering direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) services back in 2008. As metal 3D printing has only begun to really pick up steam recently, GPI was way ahead of their time with their adoption of the technology eight years ago. Companies as large and prolific as 3D Systems have turned to them to expand their own metal additive manufacturing capabilities in recent months, so they should be a valuable asset to 3Discovered.
“GPI is a great addition to our network of service bureaus and we are excited to be able to offer their sophisticated metal 3d printing capabilities on our distributed manufacturing and sourcing platform,” said Peer Munck, CEO of 3Discovered. “This is going to be good for our clients, and good for the industry as a whole.”
GPI is a small company of 25 employees, but their production capabilities are high, with ten DMLS (also known as DMLM, or direct metal laser melting) printers in operation. Their printers are capable of printing with aluminum, tool steel, cobalt chrome, titanium, and three different types of stainless steel – a versatility that will serve customers well, as these metals are “ideally suited for fabricating parts with complex geometries that are impossible to produce with traditional machining.”
“We are enthusiastic about joining 3Discovered’s network of 3D printing fabricators with our production experience,” said Adam Galloway, President of GPI. “We believe their platform greatly simplifies the process for 3D printed parts, which have already been validated for production requirements. This platform will help the growth of additive manufacturing across all industries.”
