INTERVIEW
AHEAD IN THE Software, automation and the cloud are all set to play huge roles in the future of manufacturing. Stephen Holmes speaks with Oqton CEO Ben Schrauwen about how the company is bringing together different production software tools within the 3D Systems portfolio, in order to help designers get the best out of existing manufacturing set-ups
T
he acquisition of Oqton by 3D Systems last year caused a stir, as many feared the former’s impressive brand-agnostic, cloudbased Manufacturing Operating System (MOS) might disappear into the closed shop of 3D System’s technology stack. The acquisition transpired to be part of a wider change in positioning for the 3D printing giant. The days of 3D Systems protecting its nascent IP for prototyping technology have made way for end-part production technology, ready to be used in diverse shop floor environments. “It’s much more often used in heterogeneous environments. You need to make the shift to being open, and interestingly, the 3D Systems leadership team is now really pushing for that openness – openness for materials, openness for software, openness for machine
52 AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022 DEVELOP3D.COM
p52_53_D3D_AUGSEPT22_Oqton.indd 52
08/08/2022 13:04
