Printing larger series economically and quickly

The future is being shaped in the 3-D printing industry. The Swabian 3-D printing specialist ALBTEC now offers another market innovation with a new metal and plastic printer.

Whereas until now only prints in smaller quantities of 3, 5 or 7 pieces were economical, with the new HP Multi Jet Fusion, and on request also manufacturer-independent, series with runs of 250, 500 or even 1000 pieces can be handled quickly and efficiently. This applies to both the plastic and metal sectors.

With the help of so-called additive manufacturing, ALBTEC can now produce complete series of up to 10,000 pieces within a few days. The advantage for the customer: No additional expensive tools and no capital commitment are necessary - with maximum design freedom. Geometry changes can even be implemented during ongoing production without additional costs. ALBTEC are thus one of the first suppliers in Germany to be able to offer this kind of 3D printing service.

Sectors such as special machine construction, special vehicle construction or the automotive industry, where the quantities are in the few 1000s, will benefit from this in particular. Thanks to the new process, they will be able to print complete series in just one step.

The idea behind this is to create lighter and more efficient components using 3D printing and to further shorten development times. With a high degree of flexibility - because the orders can be implemented within 24 hours, even at the weekend. Supply chains and long, CO2-damaging transport routes are also significantly shortened by additive manufacturing.

Around 30 - 35% can be saved by switching from injection moulding to 3D printing, not including the enormous time advantage. Of course, this does not yet apply to all industries. "In the regular series production of cars, this is still a thing of the future," says managing director Raphael Schäfer. "The production costs of 3D printing are still too high compared to injection moulding. But, as you can see, the profitable runs in 3-D printing are now already in the 1000s. That was unthinkable until a few years ago. It was a matter of very small quantities. A lot is happening here at breakneck speed."

As the owner of a specialised company for 3D printing, Schäfer must always keep his nose to the wind. Double-digit growth rates are still predicted for his industry in the near future. And he also sees "a lot of room for improvement". For this, however, it is necessary to move forward consistently, to stay in contact with machine manufacturers, to test new materials and to sound out trends at trade fairs. Especially with regard to China, it is important not to oversleep. "Of course, they have also realised that 3D printing can make a difference," says Schäfer. "At the moment, however, they are still behind us in terms of development. So we have to make sure that we stay fast with new innovations."

Schäfer is certain that the further development of 3D printing towards larger production volumes could help stabilise Germany as an industrial location, make companies more self-sufficient and efficient and better arm them against production and supply chain bottlenecks.

To ensure that this remains the case, ALBTEC will once again be present at Formnext in Frankfurt in mid-November: 7-10.11.2023 Frankfurt, Messe