{{ mediaArticle.articleTypeName }}
What added value do high-tech suppliers generate with AM for their customers?
Additive manufacturing - or 3D printing - is beyond the hype. In countries like Germany, Italy and the US, the manufacturing industry is currently investing heavily in the new technology. In the Netherlands, the turnaround is beginning.
Why ASML uses AM
Interest in the AM Masterclass during the Precision Fair was very high. During this session, VDL ETG, KMWE Precision and NTS, among others, shared their experiences with metal AM and especially the business cases they discovered. "They showed that the technology works, produces good high-tech components and what added value they generate for their customers with it," says Bart Kooijmans.
The large turnout at Mikrocentrum and DSPE's last Additive Manufacturing Techcafé in December 2022 confirmed the interest from the high-tech industry. Hessel Maalderink, AM competence co-lead at ASML, said then that ASML machines now already contain 200 parts produced with AM. "These parts have all the advantages of the new manufacturing technology," he said. Weight saving, feature integration, complexity and a simpler supply chain: all benefits of additive manufacturing. "They are parts that often cannot be made any other way," Maalderink said during the Techcafé.
Pushing boundaries
As OEMs such as ASML but also large companies from the oil and gas industry start using AM, it becomes important to show the industry the possibilities of AM and the process steps, believes Bart Kooijmans.
Not only ASML uses AM as a production technology. This change is also visible in other sectors, notes Maick Klaassen of QDP. The Dutch company sees the group of customers who have end parts 3D printed growing steadily.
"Since three years, we have been running a successful AM service that produces high-quality parts for end users. Huge strides in development now make the promise of this technology available for use in our production chains."
Making the right choices
"Implementing new production technologies like AM requires a good understanding of state-of-the-art capabilities versus specific requirements. Making the right choice of technology and strategy is crucial for success," says Ruben Wauthle, founder and CEO of Amnovis.
In addition to state-of-the art AM production solutions and implementation steps, there is also the need for business cases of companies successfully deploying the technology. Pioneers that share their knowledge, both in demos and during lectures.
"Here, we keep the focus on AM as a production technology for finished products. It gives a total overview of the technology with which producing Netherlands will push the boundaries in the coming years."
Bart Kooijmans