On the occasion of his interview in the September edition of Plastilien magazine, Quentin Kiener, 3D PROD's manager, invites you to discover two important investment axes in the company's strategy.
3D printing is always more innovative with 3D Prod!
At the dawn of the digital manufacturing revolution, 3D technology is now replacing traditional manufacturing for certain industrial parts.
Indeed, 3D printing enables new challenges to be met: from research to simulation, from prototyping to production. Still mostly used for rapid prototyping, additive manufacturing also offers huge advantages in small series production or in tooling manufacturing.
We were a forerunner, we remain innovative
Since 2002, 3D Prod has been assisting companies in all fields of activity with their problems of manufacturing plastic parts by 3D printing or plastic injection. It made sense to focus on mass production. Customers who need prototypes generally need series and vice versa.
Mr. Kiener presented a webinar last July on small series production(see the replay)
"Progressing and constantly questioning ourselves".
Teams trained in the latest technologies but also frequent renewal of machines. In May 2019, a second Multijet Fusion will double the production capacity of 3D Prod. In October 2022, a DLP technology is added and offers considerable advantages, such as repeatability, increased precision and optimized productivity thanks to the integration of a semi-automated production line.
What characterizes 3D Prod ? The permanent evolution of our means of production and a constant technological watch which allow us to propose to the companies and the private individuals solutions at the point for the realization of their parts. We are aware that the world is changing faster and faster, we must adapt accordingly.
An exceptional customer relationship
3D prod's asset is the customer experience. Driven by Quentin Kiener since the creation of the company, it is the will to adapt to new behaviors and to digitalize the processes, an essential step in an increasingly connected world.
"The evolution of markets is now frequent and rapid: purchasing behaviors have nothing to do with what we knew when we started in 2005.
By offering a reactive, efficient and human service that corresponds perfectly to the expectations
of new consumers, 3D prod stands out from its competitors: Online quotation and order, a team always listening, respect of deadlines and since recently a new website.
Eco-responsibility at the heart of our values
The environmental issue is on everyone's lips and plastic does not have a prominent place: "Today plastic is undergoing a major bashing" says Quentin Kiener during his interview.
However, the raw material as such is not the only cause of pollution, the energy used during production must also be monitored.
A strong position and commitment
In the era of environmental protection, we felt it was necessary to modify our processes to reduce the environmental impact of 3D printing in order to adapt to societal issues and the concerns of our time. For the past five years, we have focused part of our investments on two themes: recycling and electricity consumption.
"As far as we are concerned, we have worked a lot on recycling and reducing electricity consumption [...] We now recycle internally 90% of what we produce as waste and scrap. All these steps have enabled us to reduce our electricity consumption by 20% and to halve the amount of waste evacuated by the company".
Is additive manufacturing a green technology?
As for 3D printing itself, the technology is quite green if you take into account certain factors:
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- 3D printing only uses the material it needs by adding it layer by layer. Material losses are almost non-existent unlike subtractive manufacturing, which generates 80% of waste.
- Moreover, it is now possible to reuse plastic waste, transform it into printing filaments and thus recycle the material to produce parts.
- Since the products are made on demand, there is no overproduction or waste due to obsolescence.
- The pollution linked to transport is also reduced because our workshops are in France, unlike other providers based in low-cost countries.
At 3D Prod the values of innovation and eco-responsibility are part of our growth strategy.
