As part of its comprehensive vision to provide the industry's most complete set of seamless tools to support the global additive manufacturing industry, Siemens revealed plans for a new online collaborative platform designed to bring on-demand product design and 3D printing production to the global manufacturing industry. The part manufacturing platform, being developed by Siemens' product lifecycle management (PLM) software business and announced at Hannover Messe 2017, will provide an environment capable of connecting all members of the global manufacturing community in order to maximize resource utilisation, access additive manufacturing expertise and expand business opportunity. For example, by linking part buyers to micro-factories, the platform would enable members to 3D print production parts on-demand where-needed across the world. In addition, the platform will include collaborative capabilities to help streamline the co-innovation process and accelerate the adoption of 3D printing as a mainstream production method for industrial parts.

"Siemens is one of the only companies addressing the diverse needs of all additive manufacturing market participants - from designers and engineers, to manufacturers, 3D printing machine OEMs, material vendors and software providers - with a comprehensive set of seamless technology solutions for distributed industrial additive manufacturing and co-innovation," said Tony Hemmelgarn, President and Chief Executive Officer, Siemens PLM Software. "Today's announcement builds on that leadership with a platform aimed at instantly connecting the people, technology, equipment and expertise needed to efficiently address mutual business opportunities."

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