Sole Source Request to Purchase CEAD B.V. AM Flexbot

Mississippi State University’s Advanced Composites and Additive Manufacturing (ACI) program seeks to acquire a CEAD B.V. AM Flexbot—a turnkey hybrid robotic large‑format 3D printing system with six‑axis robot, pellet extrusion, and CNC milling capabilities. The system is required to increase in‑house tooling and part production capacity for Department of Defense (DoD) research, eliminating long lead times associated with traditional tooling methods. CEAD Group, Inc. is the exclusive U.S. source, holding patents on the print‑bed and horizontal robotic printing technology, making a sole‑source justification necessary. The quoted price is $1,253,364 for the complete system, including installation, training, and support. • Turnkey robotic 3‑D printer with six‑axis robot and E40 pellet extrusion (up to 130 lb/h). • Integrated CNC milling with automatic tool change, Siemens Sinumerik control. • Patented non‑mechanical bonding print‑bed and wide‑track horizontal printing. • Intended for rapid production of molds, fixtures, and end‑use parts for DoD programs. • Full turnkey scope: hardware, software, transport, installation, calibration, commissioning, training, and ongoing maintenance.