BTX Precision Group’s business unit i3D Manufacturing has concluded the acquisition of Oakville, Ontario-based metal additive manufacturing specialist Burloak Technologies. The move brings technical depth to i3D’s current abilities and represents BTX Precision’s first footprint beyond the United States.
According to Burloak’s VP & General Manager, Jason Ball, who went on to call the acquisition a natural fit for Burloak’s growth trajectory, “We will continue operating as the organization our customers trust today, now with greater support and investment to accelerate growth and innovation.”
End-to-End Capabilities, Preserving Identity
It is well to be noted that Burloak has established an excellent track record across North America as a full-service metal AM provider, supplying clients a single-source pathway right from early design to production-scale output. Its all-in-one offering, from metal 3D printing, heat treatment, CNC machining, Hot Isostatic Pressing – HIP, materials testing as well as advanced quality systems, allows it a competitive edge in highly competitive sectors like aerospace, defence, space along with energy.
The deal is structured to maintain the acquired identity of Burloak, rather than integrating it into i3D’s current structure. Burloak is going to continue to operate under the aegis of its own name and leadership as a designated Center of Excellence as part of the wider i3D platform, an arrangement designed to combine autonomous operational capacity with accessibility to greater group resources.
President of i3D Manufacturing, Erin Mastroni, said about the quality of Burloak’s offering – “Burloak has built a world-class reputation in metal additive manufacturing and materials science. Bringing Burloak into i3D expands our technical depth and gives us additional resources to better support customers developing next-generation, high-performance components.”
Cross-Border Deals Indicate a Maturing Market
The Canadian entry of BTX Precision through i3D Manufacturing acquiring Burloak acquisition signals a strategy of scaling by means of consolidation instead of mere organic growth. Positioning BTX as a Center of Excellence grounds Burloak as a geographic location in Canada as well as a technically differentiated platform pertaining to high-complexity, mission-critical components, possibly bridging a gap in i3D’s portfolio for end-to-end metal AM at production scale.
In addition to i3D Manufacturing acquiring Burloak, it has become part of a broader trend in the industry. SBO, the Austrian precision engineering group, has acquired 3T Additive Manufacturing, citing its solid financial standing and global locations as facilitators of the strategy. The deal was part of its global expansion strategy, CEO Klaus Mader said.
Another instance is the acquisition of Fabrisonic LLC by United Performance Metals, which was intended to improve its capacity for manufacturing and broaden its portfolio of solutions and also to solidify its technical offering through the acquisition of an AM specialist.
As per Our Executive Survey of Leading Additive Manufacturing Companies, the additive manufacturing industry is consolidating even more, with smaller players falling by the wayside and a handful of dominant manufacturers growing. Chinese and Japanese companies are increasing their footprint in metal AM and competing with Western manufacturers.
In that context, combinations such as i3D-Burloak are indeed an intentional effort to establish scale and geographical breadth before competitive pressure develops.