Meltio has achieved several significant milestones, and the Spanish 3D printing company is now recognized worldwide for its unique metal additive manufacturing technology.
Awards and Recognition
Closing 2024 on a high note, Meltio received the prestigious 2024 3DPI Award for its most advanced 3D printer, the Meltio M600. This achievement highlights Meltio’s commitment to innovation in the additive manufacturing industry.
This accolade follows the National SME of the Year Award 2023, granted by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Banco Santander, and presented by His Majesty King Felipe VI in recognition of Meltio’s innovation and contributions to the industrial sector.
2024 was a pivotal year for Meltio, marked by the launch of two advanced solutions: the Meltio M600 printer, the company’s most advanced machine, and Meltio Engine Blue, an industrial system enabling the integration of Meltio’s 3D printing laser head into robotic arms and CNC machines.
2024 Roundup
As an assessment of the year 2024, Angel Llavero Lopez de Villalta, CEO of Meltio, commented, “The past year has confirmed the trend in the incorporation of additive manufacturing technology as a mass manufacturing technology in industries around the world. Meltio is becoming worldwide thanks to our technology as a reliable alternative or complement to traditional manufacturing technologies.
“In 2024, there has been a lot of news in the industry that has shaken the global additive manufacturing market by announcements of sales declines, company bankruptcies, mergers and this is worrisome. It is true that 2024 has been confirmed as a year in which the industry needs to be more efficient and needs to become more competitive to compensate for the increase in costs and this opens wide the door to bring that efficiency.
“The past fiscal year has been the turning point where advanced manufacturing technologies are starting to gain strategic weight among industries not for prototyping but for defined final parts with high reliability rates. Meltio is becoming worldwide thanks to our technology as a reliable alternative or complement to traditional manufacturing technologies.”
New Leadership and Expansion Strategies
The company, based in Linares (Jaén, Spain), has increased its turnover by more than 50% in 2024 compared to the previous year.
Ildefonso Fuentes, Meltio’s CFO, explained how the company is expanding its growth, “In 2024, the economic situation of the additive manufacturing and 3D printing sector internationally has been characterized by moderate growth, marked by economic challenges such as inflation, rising operating and production costs, but also by opportunities driven by innovation and sustainability.
“With such a fragmented market in 3D printing hardware, 2024 has been a particularly turbulent year in terms of mergers, acquisitions and company exits. Last year we continued to maintain our clearly upward trend in terms of results, achieving an increase of more than 50% in our turnover compared to FY2023. I would like to emphasize that our year-over-year growth is fundamentally based on clear organic growth. Our strategic decision taken by the management to work on organic growth in the current context of global market uncertainty is particularly key to the long-term success of Meltio’s business.
“With challenging macroeconomic conditions creating a more conservative environment for raising capital and taking financial risk, the importance of achieving profitability has never been more important for 3D printing companies. Despite the challenges, innovation remains the key driver at Meltio by 2025. New materials and technologies are being developed that enable more advanced applications that together with improved production efficiency will allow for greater adoption in various industries.”
In light of the current international geopolitical landscape, Fuentes reaffirms Meltio’s commitment to innovation as a driving force for growth and resilience.
Technology to Advance the Industry
The milestones achieved reinforce Meltio as a trusted partner for global industries that require advanced repair and manufacturing solutions for metal parts in materials such as aluminum, copper, stainless steels, titanium, inconel and nickel, among others. It has the validation of relevant industries from different sectors and the US Navy, the French Navy (Marine Nationale) and the Spanish Air, Land and Navy armies. These collaborations demonstrate confidence in Meltio’s solutions, following a project conceived in 2021-22.
Lukas Hoppe, head of R&D at Meltio, “Our goal is to realize the full potential of laser wire deposition through cutting-edge software solutions, which will redefine the way our technology is used.”
“Looking back to 2024, I would say that from a technological point of view it has been the most important year in our history since the launch of the first products back in 2019. With the launch of the new Meltio M600 and Meltio Engine Blue metal 3D printer with the new blue laser system and a completely new Hardware platform that has been in development for the past three years, we are now able to meet the needs of industrial users with fast, reliable and easy-to-use solutions.
“Looking ahead to 2025, we foresee developments that could surpass the significance of our 2024 breakthroughs. Our goal is to fully exploit the potential of laser wire deposition through cutting-edge software solutions, which will redefine the way our technology is used. On the hardware side, we are focused on adding new capabilities and delivering even greater performance for the M600 and Meltio Engine Blue, ensuring that these platforms remain at the forefront of innovation in industrial manufacturing.”
Meltio M600 at the 3D Printing Awards 2024
The Meltio M600 metal 3D printer has been honored at the 3D Printing Awards 2024 as “Enterprise 3D Printer of the Year (Metals)”, thanks to its innovative design and reliability. Its ability to work with materials such as copper, aluminum, stainless steels, titanium, inconel and nickel has advanced production lines in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, mining and petroleum.
