Denso has announced its investment in Seurat Technologies, participating in the metal additive manufacturer’s Series B funding round. The investment will help speed the development and commercialisation of Seurat’s patented additive manufacturing technology and is Denso’s latest move to bolster its digital transformation.

Founded in July 2015, Seurat Technologies is creating the next generation of metal printers designed for industrial serial production. Seurat’s technology will allow manufacturers to cost effectively print metal parts at scale combining unprecedented speed, precision, part integrity and reliability. Seurat’s pioneering approach includes technology originally developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) by a team that included Seurat’s CEO, James DeMuth. Seurat has developed significant core technology for a novel 3D printing process, applying for more than 120 patents 

Seurat’s Area Printing technology allows manufacturers to print metal parts at scale, combining unprecedented speed, precision, part integrity and reliability, while still being cost effective. Seurat’s innovative process guarantees high quality and resolution for mass production of metal components across all industries, including automotive. For a supplier like Denso, this solution could cut production times and improve its ability to quickly support customers’ shifting requirements.

Denso says this investment also aides its larger efforts to advance manufacturing technologies. In this, Denso collaborates with companies like Seurat, in addition to creating its own solutions like its Factory-IoT Platform, to help digitise operations. This creates opportunities to optimize workflows, increase efficiency and operate more flexibly.

“Denso is always looking to stay on top of the latest manufacturing processes and technology so we can deliver for our customers. Working with Seurat will help us continue that,” said Raja Shembekar, vice-president of Denso’s North America Production Innovation Center. “Seurat’s Area Printing technology is a breakthrough, one that dramatically accelerates additive manufacturing production rates. We look forward to helping them develop it further.”

​“We are pleased to have Denso participate in our Series B round, but more than that, are excited by how they could help propel our technology forward,” said James DeMuth, CEO and co-founder of Seurat Technologies. “Denso’s deep understanding of what large-scale manufacturers need and what makes them successful will be vital as we commercialize our Area Printing technology.”