Oerlikon Strengthens Metal Additive Manufacturing Capabilities with Acquisition of citim

While technology company Oerlikon is based in Switzerland, their presence is global, with more than 170 locations in 37 countries. In business for a good century now, Oerlikon has comfortably settled into place as a leading provider of solutions to a diverse range of industries from aviation to apparel. They haven’t gotten overly comfortable, though, and are continuing to push and adapt to the changing technological landscape, making sure to stay at the forefront of the industry.

In that vein, Oerlikon has been directing their focus more towards the area of additive manufacturing lately, with the recent announcement of an advanced materials factory to be constructed in Plymouth Township, Michigan as evidence that they’re serious about developing their additive manufacturing capabilities. Now, the company has made another move towards building their additive manufacturing presence with the acquisition of German company citim GmbH.

Specializing in additively manufactured metal components, citim is no small contributor to the market themselves. In 2015, the company generated CHF 12 million in sales, with profitability around the same level of the operating margin of Oerlikon’s Surface Solutions Segment. citim has production sites in both Europe and the United States, and serves as a supplier of functional prototypes and small-series production to the automotive, aviation and energy industries.

“The competencies and team from citim will serve to consolidate our position in the additive manufacturing business, marking the acquisition as an important move for us to drive the industrialization of additive manufacturing and to become an independent service provider for the production of additively manufactured components,” said Dr. Roland Fischer, CEO of Oerlikon. “We will continue to make targeted investments in the additive manufacturing market to solidify our value proposition.”

3D printed oil filter housing by citim

citim has about 120 employees, and while the companies have agreed not to disclose the financial terms of the agreement, there’s no doubt on either side that the merger will be a profitable one for both teams.

“We are convinced that together we will be driving the industrialization of AM and making our mark as a leader in this industry,” said Andreas Berkau, co-owner and CEO of citim.

Oerlikon already offers a strong portfolio of processing technologies and metal-based materials, including several metal powders qualified for additive manufacturing. With their expertise in powder materials, surface technologies for post-production processing, and industrial component design and engineering, Oerlikon is already well positioned to become an additive manufacturing leader, and the acquisition of citim further solidifies their place as a provider of end-to-end additive manufacturing solutions.

“citim and Oerlikon’s technology and expertise fully complement each other,” said Frank Lehmann, co-owner and CEO of citim. “As part of the Oerlikon Group, citim will be able to offer its global customer base enhanced AM technologies and competencies and a comprehensive range of services along the entire value chain.”

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