LEUVEN, Belgium, April 13, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Materialise NV (Nasdaq:MTLS), a leading provider of additive manufacturing software and of sophisticated 3D printing solutions in the medical and industrial markets, is proud to announce an expansion of its current offering to the aerospace industry. By obtaining EN9100 and EASA 21G certification, Materialise has started authorized delivery of airworthy additive manufactured end-use parts in addition to the prototypes and software it already provides to customers, helping them reduce the weight and operating cost of aircraft while improving fuel efficiency and performance.

Being a supplier for aerospace companies means adopting industry standards. The EN9100 is a certification of quality assurance for the Aeronautic and Aerospace sector and an EASA Part 21G certified production organization can deliver parts with a Form 1, implying that the parts are "ready to fly". By certifying one of the most advanced and mature additive manufacturing production facilities in the world, Materialise now aims to even better meet the demands of partners throughout the aerospace sector. The certifications currently cover the manufacturing of plastic parts and there are plans to certify additional materials in the future.

The Director of Materialise's Factory for 3D Printing, Jurgen Laudus, had this to say about the certifications, "We at Materialise have enjoyed a long collaboration with the aerospace industry as providers of high-quality prototypes, production tools and cutting-edge software. We have also recognized the growing demand for the manufacturing of end-use parts that are ready to take to the skies. By obtaining these certifications, we are ready to fulfill this demand by additively manufacturing functional end-use parts for partners throughout the sector in order to improve the overall performance of their aircraft."

About Materialise

With its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium, and branches worldwide, Materialise is a provider of Additive Manufacturing (AM) software solutions and sophisticated 3D printing services in a wide variety of industries, including healthcare, automotive, aerospace, art and design and consumer products. Materialise has been playing an active role in the field of AM since 1990, through its involvement in AM for industrial and medical applications, by providing biomedical and clinical solutions such as medical image processing and surgical simulations and by developing unique solutions for its customers' prototyping, production, and medical needs. For additional information, please visit: www.materialise.com.

Press Contacts: Vanessa Palsenbarg Materialise T: +32-16-396-637 M: +32-484-485-183 press@materialise.com