Arcam
Swedish developer of electron beam melting systems and related metal additive-manufacturing technologies.
Last updated August 26, 2026
Overview
Arcam is a Swedish industrial technology brand associated with electron beam melting (EBM), a metal additive-manufacturing process that produces solid components from metal powder. The company was founded in 1997 by innovator Ralf Larson and financier Jarl Assmundson and developed its business around industrial systems capable of building complex metal parts layer by layer. Unlike consumer-oriented 3D-printing brands, Arcam has focused on production and engineering applications in sectors where material performance, geometric freedom, traceability, and repeatability are important. The company's central technology uses an electron beam as the energy source for melting successive layers of metal powder in a controlled vacuum environment. This approach has been associated with applications requiring high-strength or heat-resistant components, including aerospace parts, medical implants, and selected automotive components. Arcam's business scope has extended beyond printer hardware. Through AP&C, it has been connected with the production of metal powders used in additive manufacturing, while DiSanto Technologies has provided a link to the medical-implant field. Together, these activities gave the Arcam business a position spanning equipment, materials, and application-specific manufacturing capabilities. Arcam was publicly traded in Sweden on the Stockholm Stock Exchange under the symbol ARCM and was also quoted over the counter in the United States under AMAVF. Its corporate headquarters were in Mölndal, Sweden. The company attracted strategic interest as industrial additive manufacturing moved from prototyping toward the production of qualified parts. In September 2016, General Electric announced plans to acquire Arcam. The transaction brought Arcam into GE's additive-manufacturing activities, subsequently associated with GE Additive, and gave the business access to a larger industrial parent and broader manufacturing ecosystem. Arcam was delisted from the Stockholm Stock Exchange in January 2018. The corporate securities history therefore differs from the continuing technology and brand identity: Arcam is no longer an independently listed company, but its EBM-related activities remain associated with GE Additive. Its market positioning is that of a high-end industrial metal additive-manufacturing provider rather than a general-purpose printing company. The brand's relevance rests on specialized electron-beam processing, metal powder expertise, and applications in demanding regulated or performance-sensitive industries.
History
Arcam AB was established in Sweden in 1997 by Ralf Larson, described as an innovator, and Jarl Assmundson, described as a financier. From its beginnings, the company concentrated on the development of electron beam melting for metal additive manufacturing. EBM creates components from metal powder by selectively melting successive layers with an electron beam. The technology is distinct from conventional machining and casting because it can form complex geometries directly from digital designs, while also supporting applications in which the properties of the finished metal part are important. Arcam developed as an industrial, rather than consumer, manufacturing company. Its systems were intended for professional production and engineering environments, with applications identified in the medical, aerospace, and automotive industries. These fields can require specialized materials and components with demanding mechanical or design requirements. The company's activities also extended into adjacent parts of the additive-manufacturing value chain. AP&C was associated with the manufacture of metal powder, while DiSanto Technologies was associated with medical implants. This combination linked Arcam's equipment technology with materials and an application-focused medical business. The company became publicly traded in Sweden and was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange under the symbol ARCM. Its shares were also commonly quoted over the counter in the United States under AMAVF. Corporate headquarters were located in Mölndal, Sweden. Public-market status gave Arcam an independent financing and ownership profile during a period when additive manufacturing was attracting increasing attention from industrial companies and investors. A major change came in September 2016, when General Electric announced plans to acquire Arcam. The acquisition reflected the growing strategic importance of additive manufacturing within large industrial groups and placed Arcam's EBM technology within GE's broader additive-manufacturing organization. After the transaction, Arcam became associated with GE Additive rather than operating as an independent publicly traded company. The company's metal-printing expertise continued to be represented through its EBM activities and related businesses. Arcam was delisted from the Stockholm Stock Exchange in January 2018. This marked the end of its life as a listed standalone company, but not the end of the Arcam technology identity. Within the GE Additive structure, Arcam has remained associated with electron beam melting systems, metal powder production through AP&C, and medical-implant activities linked to DiSanto Technologies. Its historical development is therefore best understood as the progression of a specialized Swedish additive-manufacturing company from independent technology developer and listed business to a component of a larger industrial additive-manufacturing group.
- 2018Arcam was delisted
Arcam was delisted from the Stockholm Stock Exchange in January after becoming part of General Electric's additive-manufacturing operations.
- 2016General Electric announced an acquisition plan
General Electric announced plans to acquire Arcam, bringing its EBM technology and related activities into GE's additive-manufacturing portfolio.
- 1997Arcam was founded
Ralf Larson and Jarl Assmundson founded Arcam in Sweden to develop industrial applications for electron beam melting and metal additive manufacturing.
Products and positioning
High-end industrial metal additive manufacturing focused on electron beam melting, qualified materials, and demanding aerospace, medical, and automotive applications.
Arcam EBM systemsMetal additive-manufacturing equipment
Arcam's core product family consists of electron beam melting systems for building solid metal components from powder. The process uses an electron beam in a controlled vacuum environment to melt material layer by layer from a digital design. The systems are intended for industrial and engineering applications, including aerospace, medical, and automotive work where complex shapes and specialized metal performance can be valuable.
AP&C metal powdersAdditive-manufacturing materials
AP&C is associated with Arcam's metal-powder activities. The powders provide feedstock for metal additive-manufacturing processes and connect Arcam's equipment business with the materials required to produce finished parts. The reference material identifies AP&C as part of Arcam's broader activities but does not specify a complete product range or individual material launch dates.
DiSanto Technologies medical implantsMedical implants
DiSanto Technologies represents Arcam's connection with medical implants manufactured using metal additive-manufacturing capabilities. This activity illustrates the application of EBM-related technology in the medical field, where implant design and material performance are important. The available reference material does not identify specific implant models or product launch dates.
Flagship businesses
- Arcam EBM systems
- AP&C metal powders
- DiSanto Technologies medical implants
Brand decisions
- 2018Arcam was removed from public tradingOther
Following the General Electric acquisition, Arcam no longer operated as an independent public company.
What changed. Arcam was delisted from the Stockholm Stock Exchange in January 2018.
Aftermath. The company became part of GE Additive while its EBM, metal-powder, and medical-implant activities remained associated with the Arcam business.
- 2016Arcam accepted a planned acquisition by General ElectricM&A
Arcam was an independent Swedish additive-manufacturing company with listed shares and specialized EBM technology. General Electric announced plans to acquire the company as part of its development of a broader industrial additive-manufacturing business.
What changed. The planned transaction transferred Arcam into General Electric's additive-manufacturing organization, later associated with GE Additive.
Aftermath. Arcam ceased to operate as an independent listed company and continued as a technology and business identity within GE's additive-manufacturing structure.
Leadership
| Name | Title | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Jarl Assmundson | Co-founderformer | 1997– |
| Ralf Larson | Co-founderformer | 1997– |
Recent events
- 2018Arcam was delisted from the Stockholm Stock Exchange
Arcam's shares were removed from the Stockholm Stock Exchange after the company became part of General Electric's additive-manufacturing activities.
Other - 2016General Electric announced plans to acquire Arcam
General Electric announced a planned acquisition of Arcam, bringing the Swedish electron-beam-melting company into GE's developing additive-manufacturing business.
M&A
Sources
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