KEYENCE
Develops high-accuracy 3D scanning CMMs and material jetting systems, enabling ±10 μm precision quality control and rapid reverse engineering for industrial manufacturing.
- CEO / Founder
- Tetsuya Nakano
- Team Size
- 10000+
- Stage
- Public
- Total Funding
- Undisclosed
- Latest Round
- IPO
- Key Investors
- The Master Trust Bank of Japan, Takemitsu Takizaki (Founder), Custody Bank of Japan, BlackRock, State Street
Technology & Products
Key Products
VL-800 Series 3D Scanner CMM; Agilista 3100 3D printer; Agilista series
Technological Advantage
VL Series offers ±10 μm accuracy and 2 μm repeatability with one-shot 360° scanning in ~30 seconds, significantly reducing inspection time for complex AM parts.
Patent position
KEYENCE filed 38 patent families across all years, compared with Stratasys’s 494. AMPulse analysis
- Filing momentum
- 0 families filed 2022–2024, 1 in 2019–2021
- Filed in
- JP 68%EP 21%US 13%
- Named competitors, AM patent families
- Stratasys 494
38 AM patent families in total. Recent years are still being published, so read a filing change against the same-office figure.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Reduces inspection and reverse engineering lead times by providing 360° high-accuracy scanning (±10 μm) and functional prototyping with flexible resins, ensuring high alignment accuracy with CAD models.
How They Differentiate
Combines high-accuracy 3D scanning (±10 μm) with material jetting to automate reverse engineering and quality control for complex AM parts, offering faster inspection than traditional CMMs.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Manufacturing companies involved in casting, plastic molding, and precision cutting.
Industry Verticals
Factory automation; Consumer electronics; Manufacturing; Quality Assurance
Competitors
Stratasys
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
VL Series accuracy ±10 μm, repeatability 2 μm, one-shot scan in ~30 seconds; 136 images processed for 3D vision inspection.
Major Milestones
Launched VL-800 Series 3D Scanner CMM with 3D-AI; Released Agilista series for functional parts; Integration of 3D scanning with AM reverse engineering
Notable Customers
University of Tokyo, Injection Molding Lab
AM patents
AM-relevant patents linked to this company.
- Patents
- 45
- Granted
- 17
- Families
- 38
Leading domains: process (45), equipment (28), material (5)
Filings by year: 2025: 8 · 2020: 1 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 2 · 2011: 10 · 2010: 15
- Setting data creation device for 3D modeling device, setting data creation program for 3D modeling system and 3D modeling device, and computer-readable recording medium2017043031 · JP
- Modeling data creation device and 3D modeling system2026121831 · JP
- Three-dimensional shaping apparatus, three-dimensional shaping method, set-data creating apparatus for three-dimensional shaping apparatus, program for creating set-data for three-dimensional shaping apparatus, and computer-readable recording medium2599613 · EP
- 3D printing equipment2026121835 · JP
- Modeling material for forming photofabrication model in ink-jet three dimensional printing, supporting material for supporting the shape of photofabrication model on photofabrication and production method of photofabrication model09796863 · US
Funding rounds
- IPOUndisclosed1974Source: Tokyo Stock Exchange