Align Technology Acquires Polymer Additive Manufacturing Company Cubicure

Align Technology Acquires Polymer Additive Manufacturing Company Cubicure | Image Credit: © Align Technology

AlignTechnology, Inc. last week announced that it has completed the acquisition of privately held Cubicure GmbH, a pioneer in direct 3D printing solutions for polymer additive manufacturing that develops, produces, and distributes innovative materials, equipment, and processes for novel 3D printing solutions.

Align, best known for its Invisalign® clear aligner system, is a global medical device company that also designs, manufactures, and sells iTero™ intraoral scanners, and exocad™ CAD/CAM software for digital orthodontics and restorative dentistry.

The acquisition of Cubicure supports Align’s strategic innovation roadmap and strengthens the company’s Align Digital Platform™. Cubicure will also extend and scale Align’s printing, materials, and manufacturing capabilities for their 3D printed product portfolio which currently includes the Invisalign Palatal Expander system, Align’s first direct 3D printed orthodontic device and a safe, comfortable, and effective alternative to traditional palatal expanders, according to the manufacturer. Cubicure’s patented Hot Lithography technology uses a special heating and coating mechanism designed to enable the processing of highly viscous resins to produce tough and temperature-resistant polymers. This high precision 3D printing process is said to facilitate the additive manufacturing of resilient components with an astonishing first of its kind material quality performance.

Commenting on the announcement of the acquisition, Align Technology President and CEO JoeHogan, says in a press release, “The acquisition of Cubicure brings a talented team and unique cutting-edge technology into Align and will enable us to scale our 3D printing operations to eventually direct print millions of custom appliances per day. Direct 3D printing enables Align to create 3D printed solutions without the added step of first creating a mold, making 3D printing more sustainable and efficient. I am excited to take this important step in our relationship with Cubicure, which began several years ago as a joint development program.”

Srini Kaza, Align senior vice president, product research & development, shares Hogan’s enthusiasm on bringing Cubicure into the fold.

“Align has invested billions of dollars on innovation over the past 27 years, including next-generation 3D printing technologies to process high-performance polymers,” says Kaza in the press release. “We’ve been working with Cubicure for years and I am thrilled that they are now officially employees of Align and members of our R&D organization. We're at the beginning of this next wave of direct 3D printing additive manufacturing and I believe we're poised to transform the orthodontic industry again with our unprecedented ability to direct print devices.”

The acquisition closed on January 2, 2024, for about $86,508,032.11 US

(€79million) subject to final closing adjustments and adjustments for Align’s existing ownership of capital stock of Cubicure, the press release states.

Align Technology’s technology building blocks enable enhanced digital orthodontic and restorative workflows designed to improve patient outcomes and practice efficiencies for approximately 252,000 doctor customers. Over the past 26 years, the company has helped doctors treat over 16.4 million patients with the Invisalign system and is driving the evolution in digital dentistry through the Align Digital Platform™, Align Technology’s integrated suite of proprietary technologies and services delivered as a seamless, end-to-end solution for patients and consumers, orthodontists and GP dentists, and lab/partners.

Invisalign, iTero, exocad, Align, and Align Digital Platform are trademarks of Align Technology, Inc.