Colibrium Additive appoints Mafil as distribution partner for metal AM in Israel
Hardware
Originally reported by 3Druck
Colibrium Additive, the GE Aerospace subsidiary, has named Mafil as its commercial distribution partner for metal additive manufacturing systems in Israel. Under the agreement, Mafil will handle sales, implementation, technical support, and customer service for Colibrium Additive's Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (EB-PBF) and Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) platforms. Mafil, founded in 1939 and active in industrial 3D printing for over a decade, counts additive manufacturing as one of its four core business segments alongside scanning, materials, and post-processing solutions. Colibrium Additive's EMEA sales lead José Greses and Mafil CEO Raz Darbi both emphasized the partnership as a mechanism to deliver localized support and faster response times for Israeli manufacturers.
This distribution deal reflects a recurring pattern in the additive manufacturing industry: established OEMs extending their geographic reach through specialized local partners rather than building direct sales infrastructure in every market. For Colibrium Additive, which carries the aerospace qualification credibility of GE's LEAP fuel nozzle legacy, the move targets Israel's concentrated aerospace and medical device sectors - two verticals with the highest qualification burdens and longest adoption cycles, but also the most durable production commitments. The partnership avoids the cost of a direct Israeli office while leveraging Mafil's existing industrial customer relationships and post-processing capabilities. For the Israeli market, this provides a structured channel to Colibrium's EB-PBF and L-PBF systems, which are already deployed in jet engine and medical implant production under strict regulatory oversight.
From a practical standpoint, this is a distribution agreement, not a technology breakthrough. The real test will be whether Mafil can convert its industrial network into repeat machine sales and service contracts, particularly in defense-related applications where Israel's domestic procurement policies may favor locally supported suppliers. Colibrium Additive gains a channel partner with local credibility; Mafil gains access to a portfolio backed by GE Aerospace's quality systems. Execution on training, spare parts availability, and application engineering support will determine whether this arrangement produces actual production capacity or remains a press release.