• More than 50 participants joined the Technology Day "Industrial 3D Printing Technologies" organized by the VDMA's regional subsidiary of Bayern.
• Sharing of 3D printing technologies work and their industrial potential showed immediate effects
All around the world, additive manufacturing technologies has been occupying the thoughts of mechanical engineers, machine manufacturers, and users of the aerospace industry, the automotive industry, medical technology, as well as of many other sectors. The Ingolstadt Technology Day "Industrial 3D Printing Technologies" on March 19th, organized by the VDMA's regional subsidiary of Bayern, made clear that Bavarian companies are highly interested in this new technology. Counting more than 50 participants, the event in the Gründer- und Technologiezentrum EGZ Ingolstadt was filled to capacity.
3D Printing – A Technology with Great Potential
The great majority of participants either does not yet use additive technologies at all, or only in very small measure, as a poll at the beginning of the event showed. At the event's end, participants gave their forecast on how the technology's application might develop in the next three to five years. It transpired that the majority of companies present presumes the young technology will complement traditional manufacturing technologies shortly. A few participants even think additive technologies capable of becoming their company's preferred manufacturing technology.
Wolfgang Lott, deputy managing director of the VDMA regional subsidiary Bavaria reads this immediate effect on the majority of participants as proof that "3D printing is a technology which will show its considerable potential within the next three to five years. We're only at the beginning," he explains. The event also showed a new way of thinking to be necessary in development and construction departments, if additive technologies' potential is to be fully exploited.
Change in the minds of constructors
Apart from giving an orientation on the current development state of the different additive technologies, speakers gave participants indications on how additive manufacturing will change how to go about construction, and how costs will move away from production towards the components' design. Ralf Becker, head of advanced development at Schunk GmbH & Co. KG in Lauffen am Neckar, advised that since layered structures enable the production of geometries so far not realizable, constructors need to radically change their way of thinking. Carl Fruth, chairman of Lupburger FIT AG, added: "You either need to leave construction to professionals or become a professional yourself." In particular for experienced developers, it is not easy to ignore strongly internalized rules of construction and to completely rethink components.
Specific benefits for participants
Gerhard Trebbin, general manager of the automation specialist Trebbin GmbH & Co. KG in Eichstätt, offered a thoroughly positive summary of his participation at the Technology Day in Ingolstadt. He came because his company is looking specifically for a manufacturing solution for special test fixtures serving illuminants. This means highly complex, miniaturized components, only one or two custom-made pieces. "It seems to be the obvious thing to manufacture them additively," he says. Up to now, however, he did not know any details about the procedure's degree of technical maturity or its cost-performance ratio.
"This changed through-out the Technology Day with its detailed information on the state of the art and the efficiency of today's machines," Trebbin explains. The opportunity for talks with providers in Ingolstadt helped him. "We will implement the technology soon," he says. Industrial 3D printing's maturity was a pleasant surprise to him. Trebbin believes that many companies lack information on the subject of additive manufacturing. Events like the Technology Day and the opportunity for sharing experiences in the Additive Manufacturing Association within the VDMA are truly helpful.
"It was a harmonious blend. Next to experienced users and providers of additive technologies, there were participants who came to get a thorough overview on this new field of technology," reported Rainer Gebhardt, project manager of the Additive Manufacturing Association within VDMA. In terms of content, the Association has supported the regional subsidiary in its preparations for the Technology Day'. Four of the five speakers belong to the Association's member companies, which now amount to 67.
