BMW, General Electric and Nikon are among the firms to have invested in 3D printing company Carbon.

The firm, based in Silicon Valley, has raised $81 million (£62 million) in its latest round of funding, bringing the total level of investment to $222 million.

It specialises in developing 3D printers that can be used to manufacture car parts and medical devices and Carbon says its first commercial 3D printer, the M1, can print products up to 100 times faster than its rivals.

The company has also invested in the development of special resins, such as heat-resistant materials for car parts.

Speaking to Reuters, vice-president of product management at Carbon Kirk Phelps said: "We wanted to go find investors that share the scope of our vision and realise what we are talking about here is industrial re-invention."

BMW Group is keen to incorporate 3D printing into its production processes, with Udo Hänle, head of production strategy and technical integration at the company, describing it as having "promising potential".