Canon Europe Joins the 3D Printing Association

Last month, Canon Europe announced that it would finally become an official 3D printer manufacturer. Their first water testing into the industry happened in February, when they became a distributor for 3D Systems in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The fact that they hadn’t gone into 3D printing earlier was surprising; they produce just about every other imaging technology, from cameras to copiers to telescope lenses, and pride themselves on their commitment to offering the latest technology innovations. Their own 3D printer under prototyping would feature a resin-based lamination system and was expected to offer competitive build speeds and cost-cutting benefits. As of yet we do not know when the printer will be on the market. But today Canon showed that they’re serious about entering the 3D printing market with the announcement that they have joined the 3D Printing Association (3DPA).

The 3D Printing Association, which is the global trade association for the 3D printing industry, is member-funded and represents everyone from designers to manufacturers and retailers. Its members benefit from the organization’s support in ways that include seed capital for new ventures, discounts to conferences and other events, and invitations to speak at some of the major events in the industry. Their newest member is Canon’s European subsidiary, whose reach extends into 116 countries as the European sales and marketing branch for the global corporation.

“By joining the association,” said 3DPA membership director Ian Ferguson, “Canon Europe demonstrates its commitment to the industry and we look forward to working with them and all our members to improve understanding of the technology, help with awareness and education and influence the regulatory environment.”

Not only has the company accepted membership, but they have already placed one of their employees on the advisory board. Christopher Blake, 3D printing sales and marketing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), will join the European board. Blake’s admittance to the board is still in the process, but is nearing completion and is expected to be officially announced next month.

(Source: 3dprint.com)

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