DNA.am acquires GROW.am to provide end-to-end secure AM traceability and control of IP
Leading additive manufacturing software company, DNA.am today announced the acquisition of secure file transfer company Grow.am to digitalise end-to-end security for highly regulated sectors.
DNA.am and Valuechain Group CEO Tom Dawes explained “COVID-19 has exposed the fragility and significant limitations of traditional manufacturing supply chains for critical items such as PPE and medical equipment. For many years, AM technology has demonstrated sufficient maturity to address these challenges through mass-customisation and rapid response agility, whilst reducing overall risks and costs. However, major inhibitors to AM adoption have been due to IP protection concerns, quality assurance and material traceability.”
A recent article by Professor Timothy W. Simpson, from Penn State University, stated that “no open-source 3D printed PPE has received FDA or NIOSH approval for protecting healthcare workers”, citing challenges such as sharing information securely, a shortage of suppliers, and accreditation of processes. This demonstrates the need for improved traceability and secure collaboration in AM supply chains.
Dawes continued “Our acquisition of the patented Grow.am technology, will ensure that DNA.am plays a pivotal role in scaling Additive Manufacturing by urgently addressing medical supply chain fragmentation, whilst also unlocking global agility challenges for other highly regulated sectors such as aerospace and automotive. We will achieve this through a seamlessly integrated end-to-end digital solution, combining the Grow.am platform and DNA.am MES, to protect intellectual property and provide robust traceability that will meet the most stringent quality assurance standards.”
Experienced AM technology entrepreneur, and Founder of Grow.am, Siavash Mahdavi stated “I am proud of the team for working so hard in such turbulent times and in being able to complete this transaction whilst working remotely. It is a true testament to our belief in the synergies that the combined solution will bring to the AM industry. We are delighted to join the DNA.am family. The Grow.am suite of products are a perfect fit for the already comprehensive offering that DNA.am is supplying to the market and we look forward to an exciting future.”
About DNA.am
Through its Manufacturing Execution Systems developed specifically for Additive Manufacturing (AM), DNA.am streamlines and digitalises AM process control, capturing AM business intelligence and ensuring robust material traceability with an impressive client list, ranging from global start-up AM bureaus and Research Technology Organisations through to large corporates such as Airbus, Safran, WIPRO and RICOH.
About GROW.am
Grow.am developed the world’s first secure AM build transfer platform that enables AM design houses and OEMs to protect their intellectual property through robust encryption, restricting AM builds to authorised machines only and controlling the number of components that can be printed.
