Carbon Partners with Supplier of 3D-Printed Saddles

Carbon reports its partnership with DDK, the company’s first saddle-specific contract manufacturer in Asia. The agreement establishes DDK as a dedicated, vertically integrated production partner, built to help brands bring 3D-printed saddles to market faster and at greater scale, according to Carbon.

DDK’s facility brings additive manufacturing of latticed saddles and final saddle assembly together under one roof in Asia — a new model for Carbon in the region. By consolidating each step of the saddle supply chain in a single location, DDK aims to compress customer time-to-market.

The partnership comes as 3D-printed saddles have shifted from a flagship product to a portfolio across leading saddle brands. Carbon’s technology has now enabled the production of nearly 1 million 3D-printed saddles. 

“Bringing DDK online as the first Tier 1 supplier dedicated to printing saddles on the Carbon platform is a defining moment for the category,” says Phil DeSimone, chief executive officer, Carbon. “3D-printed saddles are no longer a flagship novelty — they’re a must-have in brand portfolios, and our customers need partners who can deliver them at scale, in the right geographies, with the right capabilities. DDK opens the door to a faster path from design to rider, and brings 3D-printed performance within reach of a much wider range of riders, budgets, and skill levels.”

By expanding manufacturing capacity in Asia, the partnership broadens geographic access to 3D-printed saddle production and creates a foundation for future entry into the OEM market.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.