Award-winning American 3D printer OEM 3D Systems has announced the opening of a new Advanced Additive Manufacturing Center in Pinerolo, Italy. The new center was established to broaden the company’s On Demand manufacturing service in Europe, beyond sites already present in France, the UK, and Germany, among others. Aiming to double its manufacturing capacity and meet customer demand, the move is part of an ongoing “multimillion dollar expansion.”
“Through the expansion of this facility and our capabilities, we are strongly positioned to keep pace with technological innovations and support the growth of our customers,” comments Ziad Abou, SVP and general manager, 3D Systems On Demand.
The new Advanced Additive Manufacturing Center adds to another On Demand facility within the Pinerolo region. Together, these sites now collectively offer a host of manufacturing services for its customers within a variety of verticals, including automotive, consumer products and aerospace. “Take, for example, the automotive industry,” Abou adds.
“3D Systems On Demand has several automotive customers for whom we create a wide variety of high quality prototypes for both interior and exterior automobile parts to help accelerate the product development process.”
Inside On Demand Pinerolo
3D Systems On Demand is the 3D printing service bureau arm of the company, providing rapid prototyping, low-volume parts production and appearance models, including engineering and design support. With the addition of the Advanced Additive Manufacturing Center, 3D Systems’ Pinerolo contingent contains over 30 3D printers that cover various technologies, including SLS, SLA and DLP, provided by the company’s patented Figure 4 platform. As well as additive manufacturing, the facility also provides vacuum casting, CNC processing, injection molding and spark/wire EDM. The variety of manufacturing methods allows the company to support a diverse range of industries with high-volume production demands.
“The intent of bringing all SLA and SLS activity in a new center of excellence is to not only expand capacity for additive manufacturing and prototyping, but to increase the speed of delivery and the quality of the service due to our enhanced process automation,” explained Marco Maio, general manager, 3D Systems On Demand, Pinerolo, T/O, Italy.
“The breadth of our technologies render our facility in Italy, an end-to-end solution for prototyping and low-volume manufacturing of industrial parts and products, including post-processing like surface treatment and painting.”
3D Systems on demand manufacturing
With Figure 4 technology, 3D Systems has helped various customers to improve their production capabilities.
Using a Figure 4 Standalone 3D printer Rapid Application Group, an additive manufacturing firm based in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was able to “double its capacity while reducing its time-to-print process by nearly 90% – from seven hours to 45 minutes or less,” according to a 3D Systems spokesperson.
Furthermore, ACS Custom, a UK-based customized ear protection and in-ear devices producer, reported an 80% reduction of associated labor costs and a 50% decrease in materials consumption after acquiring two Figure 4 Standalone models.
Since 2018, the company has also formally been providing On Demand Anatomical Modeling Service, reinforcing 3D Systems’ position in the medical 3D printing sector.
3D Systems has been nominated in several categories for the 2019 3D Printing Industry Awards. You can make your choice and cast your vote here.
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Featured image shows 3D Systems Advanced Additive Manufacturing Center in Pinerolo, Italy. Photo via 3D Systems.
