Immensa Is Taking on the Untapped Market of Additive Manufacturing Technologies
For manufacturers, one of the biggest limitations on efficiency and speed of production is the need to have spare parts readily available. Organizations have to balance their specific spare parts needs, or if a single component falls behind in production – often because dozens of organizations make each of those individual products – the entire production process stops. Startup Immensa aims to change that with its digital platform focusing on additive manufacturing technologies, also known as 3D printing.
The Problem
Many manufacturers need thousands of small components to build their final product. That means organizations need to have massive inventories of each of these products, often investing millions of dollars into those components that often are slow to move off the shelves. The result is millions of dollars in last overall production value for each product.
How 3D Printing Changes the Game
Immensa, a startup founded in 2016 by Fahmi Al Shawwa, has a plan to help manufacturers eliminate this costly bottleneck. The startup features a digital platform designed to ensure companies have access to the parts they need on hand at all times but eliminates the need to have all those spare parts sitting around.
Using this platform, organizations can select the types of parts they need and then use a local additive manufacturing operator to create what they need. This can be done on an as-needed basis, such as when a piece of equipment breaks down, requiring a replacement component. It is a faster and more efficient way of getting products to the company's doorstep, minimizing production delays.
The primary benefit of Immensa is that it reduces production loss, but there is more to it. The organization also reduces OEM costs because it helps to streamline the supply chain.
How Can a Platform Meet All of These Needs?
With a focus on the oil and gas industry, Immensa is working to build a massive database that, at some point, will have every viable part necessary for production, meeting the needs of a global marketplace.
The company’s pilot project launched in 2019, and it’s found significant success, especially as one of the only organizations in this field to take on the daunting task.
It’s also making strides in revenue. According to Al Shawwa, the company grew its top line by 200% in 2020. It says it is expected to double that in 2021.
Tapping into the Needs of Today’s Organizations
To grow and develop, Immensa is diversifying to meet the needs of a growing number of companies. Currently, the technologies they are using include the following:
- Fused deposition modeling
- Stereolithography
- Selective laser sintering
- Direct metal laser sintering
- Wire arc additive manufacturing
It can also produce products in a wide range of metal and plastic components. The company’s team works hand-in-hand with organizations from the concept stage to the production drawings and finally to the AM process.
The company launched in Dubai, UAE, and believes the UAE and the USA are its primary markets, though global expansion is the ultimate goal. The company’s initial challenges, such as helping organizations to become aware of its product and the benefits of AM technology, are a primary focus. Still, scaling and growth continue to move the company forward as well.
With its global, on-demand production network, Immensa is working to tap into what it calls a $165 billion untapped market, with the potential to streamline operations, smooth out the supply chain, and help companies save money term.
