Contents
3D Activation Managing Director Fabian Strohschein gives an interview on the growing importance of 3D printing technologies for the process industry
Among the numerous sectors of the economy in which the innovative technology of 3D printing has led to decisive upheavals for at least 5 years, the process industry can certainly be mentioned in the first row. The process industry is generally understood to mean the processing of substances and materials in the chemical, petrochemical, gas processing, pharmaceutical, food, sugar, pulp, paper, glass, steel and cement manufacturing sectors and their respective suppliers. What is meant by this term are the processes and procedures in chemical, physical, biological or other technical form that are used in the specified branches of industry.
What concrete effects the possibility of 3D printing has or could have on the process industry was the subject of an interview that our managing director a few days ago at Process-Vogel, an online trade magazine for the chemical, pharmaceutical and process engineering industries.
Prototypes and components in small numbers can be produced economically
Strohschein first explains the advantages of using 3D printing technology for a production engineer, for example in a chemical company: “Components can be produced very easily and very quickly – especially in the case of individual parts, prototypes and small numbersthat are not economically viable in conventional ways. For example, customers ask us for gripper systems or a wide variety of nozzle formats.” So you will probably not print spare parts that you can turn conventionally for ten euros. “Additive manufacturing sees itself as a complementary solution to conventional technologies.”
Implementation of specifications for surface quality
Another important point in the process interview is the changed material properties in 3D printing. “We can implement specifications for surface quality and physical data such as tensile strength. It essentially depends on the printing technology used,” says Strohschein on this challenge. However, there is no way around checking the possible uses and limits of use together with the customer before and after the component is printed.
You can read the whole interview here.
Update: At the end of the year, our contribution even made it into the Process special edition “Best of 2016” (see left side), where we are also listed as a “3D printing service provider”.
It doesn’t matter if you also come from the process industry from another branch, 3D Activation will help you to your 3D printed model. In addition to the actual 3D printing, our range of services also includes 3D construction, 3D scanning and 3D visualization. Comprehensive information on these and other points can be found on our website.
To services