Strategic Partnership Between Huvecell and Winposys, a 3D Metal Printer Manufacturer

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] Hubexel announced on the 27th that it signed a strategic partnership agreement on the 25th with Winposys, a 3D metal printer manufacturer, regarding the manufacturing (OEM production) and supply of 3D printers and additive products.

Winposys, established in 2004, is a leading company in domestic metal 3D printing technology. It is the first company in Korea to successfully develop and commercialize a metal printer using the SLM (Selective Laser Melting) method. The SLM method involves spreading metal powder thinly at about 30~100μm, melting it with a laser, and repeating the process of spreading metal powder thinly again to produce three-dimensional processed objects. This method produces highly precise 3D objects, and due to the complexity of control technology and the high technical difficulty of the equipment itself, German companies have monopolized this technology.

To enter the U.S. market, Hubexel is proceeding with FDA (Food and Drug Administration) certification, GSA (General Services Administration) registration, and DAFA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) registration for 3D printers and additive products. It is supplying military contracts to WestPoint (U.S. Military Academy), Walter Reed (U.S. Army Hospital), VA (U.S. Veterans Affairs), and leading bids for GPOs (Group Purchasing Organizations: companies engaged in hospital supply), aiming to secure large-scale supply contracts.

In other words, Winposys and its subsidiary Metal3D will be responsible for production based on Hubexel’s orders, and Hubexel will generate large-scale sales through bids for the U.S. government, military supply market, and GPOs for 3D printers and additive products, creating mutual synergy. This is the core of the agreement.

Technical support is provided by Professor Dohyung Lim’s team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Sejong University, who have extensive experience in 3D printer research and development. Professor Lim said, “It is an honor to serve as technical advisors for this major project where Winposys, which has the best 3D printer manufacturing capability in Korea, and Hubexel, which possesses R&D technology and post-processing capabilities, enter the U.S. government and military supply market through a strategic partnership. We will do our best to integrate the technology we have researched and experienced in 3D printers to create a successful example of industry-academia cooperation.”

Hubexel Vice President Seongpil Hwang said, “Since 2011, Hubexel has operated Dio USA, a 100% subsidiary R&D company for spinal implants, in the U.S., gradually increasing sales in the U.S., the world’s largest medical device market. In March, we signed a Service Agreement with STS Corporation, a Certified Veteran Enterprise and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business in the U.S., and are fully preparing to enter the U.S. government and military supply market.” He added, “With the strategic partnership agreement with Winposys, which will be responsible for 3D printer production and additive product supply, we can now actively proceed with entering the U.S. government and defense markets.”