YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Youngstown-based JuggerBot 3D, a manufacturer of large format 3D printers, plans to expand its business by 20% this year compared to 2021, its principals say.
That plan includes the completion of an expansion at the Youngstown Business Incubator’s Tech Block Building Five. This will allow JuggerBot 3D to double production capacity and accommodate more staff, says Dan Fernbeck, co-founder and vice president.
The company, formed in 2014, employs six.
JuggerBot’s expansion is fueled by increased demand for its Tradesman Series printer, which is expected to remain strong because of aggressive marketing strategies and expansion of its distribution network across North America, Fernbeck says.
The company will have a prominent exhibit at Rapid TCT, North America’s largest 3D printing tradeshow, scheduled for May in Detroit.
Additionally, JuggerBot will officially launch the second phase of a cooperative research and development agreement with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The company will work with additive manufacturing process technology developed in 2021.
Phase two of the collaboration will see investments into JuggerBot’s technical team, with an emphasis on software development and hardware integration, Fernbeck says.
Industrial filament 3D printers are used for everything from conceptual prototypes to end-use parts, Fernbeck says.
In 2021, JuggerBot 3D secured business from major companies in the oil and gas, medical device manufacturing, and research industries.
The global additive manufacturing industry remains strong and is picking up as a result of supply shortages, new market entries, and recently validated applications, Fernbeck says.
Approximately 13,000 industrial 3D printers were installed at businesses worldwide in 2021, Fernbeck says. Around 40% of those could be categorized as industrial filament 3D printers, gaining huge momentum and adoption by the aerospace, automotive, medical and industrial industries.