Large Format 3D Printing OEM BigRep Forms Strategic Partnership with Phillips Federal

BigRep, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of large-format polymer additive manufacturing (AM) equipment, has announced a strategic partnership with Phillips Federal, one of the largest suppliers of advanced manufacturing equipment to the U.S. government. According to BigRep, which is based in Germany and also has subsidiaries in the U.S. and Singapore, the deal positions Phillips Federal as BigRep’s largest reseller to the U.S. federal market, which is expected to open up new opportunities for BigRep in the all-important U.S. defense industrial base (DIB).

In particular, BigRep sees potential for the company to make inroads into the market for 3D printed tooling, an area where the aerospace and defense markets have seen extensive success over the years. Additionally, BigRep has experience producing end-use parts for military applications, with the company’s technology used to create rotor blade restraint cradles for Italian defense giant Leonardo. These parts were ultimately delivered to the Royal Navy of the UK.

Furthermore, BigRep has already established its foothold in the U.S. AM market for auto parts via its relationship with NASCAR’s Legacy Motor Club. That expertise could give the company an advantage as the U.S. military turns its focus towards increasing AM adoption for use on ground vehicle systems.

In a press release about BigRep’s strategic reseller partnership with Phillips Federal, Jeff Olson, President of BigRep America, said, “We’re thrilled to partner with Phillips Federal. Their deep experience in federal [AM] needs combined with our advanced large-format additive solutions positions us perfectly to drive innovation for U.S. defense agencies domestically and globally.”

The President of Phillips Federal, Kelley Padham, said, “At Phillips, we’re focused on accelerating sustainable solutions that strengthen warfighter readines. Our partnership with BigRep brings large-format additive capabilities directly to the mission, enabling agile, on-demand support for critical defense systems.”

Another relevant area where BigRep has experience is uncrewed underwater vehicles (maritime drones), which are seeing constant growth in interest as a result of the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. However, tooling may indeed be the best near-term bet for any AM company looking to enter the U.S. defense market, as the maturity of the applications and the scramble to reshore manufacturing activity give 3D printed tooling a realistic shot to contribute almost right away to the overall health of factory floor workflows.

In the context of the cat being fully out of the bag on the opportunity that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) represents for the AM industry, BigRep’s new partnership with Phillips Federal highlights some important lessons that other companies could learn from. For one thing, while companies based in foreign countries don’t necessarily need to have a U.S. subsidiary to secure DoD contracts, it certainly helps. In the future, it may become increasingly necessary, given the trajectory of global trade relationships.

For another, it may be just as crucial to strike a deal with the right resellers — or other similar partners like “neutral integrator” BlueForge Alliance — as it is to form a relationship with the DoD itself. Getting a defense contract gets your equipment in the front door, but it by no means guarantees what’s going to happen after that. Forming relationships with other pillars in the DIB may be a requirement to establish your initial entry point into a genuinely scalable business model.

Images courtesy of BigRep