Protolabs opens new €16m 3D Printing Centre in Germany
Telford-based additive manufacturers Protolabs has opened a new 3D printing centre in Putzbrunn, near Munich, to the tune of €16 million, effectively allowing the firm to expand its European operations in a bid to reduce lead times for its primarily UK consumer base.
The company claims the investment should increase its capacity by as much as 60% while also furthering its sustainability goals, claiming the new facility will specialise in "future-oriented technologies" and feature "highly skilled employees".
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The new facility will manufacture plastic and metal parts for use in several different industries. Protolabs serves customers across a number of key industrial sectors, such as aerospace, automotive, electrical, medical and energy and currently employs 450 people at its headquarters in England.
It will also add 60 additional printers to its production lines.
"We are very pleased about the opening of our new European 3D printing centre in Putzbrunn and the strategic importance it will have for customers in the UK," said Bjoern Klaas, Vice President and Managing Director of Protolabs Europe.
He added the new capacity should increase the range of services Protolabs can offer the market. He claims that the increased capacity could allow the firm to complete orders for parts in as little as a few days.
The plant will also "enhance Protolabs' commitment" to saving resources during the printing process and an overall reduction in carbon emissions, he said.
In addition, a linking of engineering processes has led to reduced energy consumption alongside the leveraging of heat recovery and the use of any waste heat in the moulding process.
The company also reports the new plant will keep noise emissions "below 26 decibels", in a bid to address noise pollution commonly associated with industrial manufacturing.
While 3D printing is often quiet when compared to other industrial processes - typically around 50 decibels - but a reduction in noise could prove a boon to workers and the local community.
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Klaas added the company's new strategy is primarily geared towards fast-evolving technologies and rapidly shifting markets alongside traditional environmental challenges.
"In doing so, we want to fulfil our social responsibility, as well as deliver an unparalleled service through digital manufacturing. This approach enables our customers to more rapidly develop their products, go to market faster, reduce manufacturing costs and achieve a flexible supply chain throughout the entire product lifecycle", he concluded.
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