Carmo, DTU og Krebs & Co er gået sammen for at skabe et stort vækstområde med Danmark i spidsen
 

New collaboration will push 3D printing onto the factory floor

In collaboration with DTU, the Innovation Fund Denmark and Krebs & Co, Carmo will during the next three years work on automating the entire 3D printing process in order to create a large growth area with Denmark at the forefront.

Using the name “Additive Manufacturing Farm” (AM Farm), we want to automate 3D printing so that the technology can compete with injection molding as a production process in collaboration with our project partners. The project is supported by the Innovation Fund Denmark and the ambition is to create a new growth locomotive with exciting new workplaces and an attractive business platform – both commercially and environmentally.

Carmo A/S and Krebs & Co A/S will be responsible for the practical tests and the development of the sales platform. Scientists and students at the Danish Technical University’s Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering will be responsible for the development of a new production platform, software and process and material optimization.

– “Currently, 3D printing cannot compete with injection moulding of conventional products. Neither on price nor on production time. AM Farm must make it possible to produce highly specialized and complex products on-demand, efficiently and not least at a competitive price and in the quantities, large or small, that the customer needs.”

Claus Ishøy, CEO at Carmo

When AM Farm becomes usable and a real alternative to the existing injection moulding, the partners expect that up to 50 percent of all development projects will end up with an AM Farm solution. The expectation is that the turnover related to AM Farm will be 30-40 million DKK in 2025.

3D printing must be able to keep up with injection moulding

During the next three years, the ambition is for the project to transform into a new revolutionary production platform that will help make Denmark a world leader in the field of 3D printing of industrial plastic components.

– “The aim is that 3D printing through new software and machinery can be automated to such an extent in the future that the current partially manual 3D printing processes are replaced by production halls with up to many hundreds of small production cells that can work independently of each other and with several different print jobs waiting in queue.”

David Bue Pedersen, senior researcher at Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, DTU

A business foundation must be created

In addition to producing new software and hardware, it is absolutely crucial for the success of the project that a business basis is created and that the new printers start production tasks as soon as possible. Carmo and Krebs & Co are already well underway with 3D printing, and it will be their task to bring in new customers and scale up the orders.

– “In many areas, 3D printing is still in its infancy, and there have been examples of companies burning their fingers on the technology. We must therefore work to overcome the skepticism some have and demonstrate the many advantages that a project like this can lead to customers being prepared to use 3D printing far more in the future.”

Peter Bay, CEO at Krebs & Co

– “The realization of the concept will create additional job and income opportunities for Danish companies – especially for start-ups and development projects – which will get opportunities that reduce their time-to-market.”

Peter Bay, CEO at Krebs & Co

Advantages of being able to scale up and automate 3D printing in Denmark

  • The ambition for the project is that Carmo, Krebs & Co and DTU develops a unique business platform that will make 3D printing more attractive in larger scale for both at home and abroad, while making production more robust.
  • The operation of larger 3D printing farms will create new jobs and attract specialists to Danish companies.
  • More sustainable production with less waste: An analysis carried out by Deloitte in 2020 showed a reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases by working with 3D printing instead of injection molding in machined moulds.
  • Reduced time to market. For new projects, overall, there will be a shorter period of negative cash flow and thus also less risk of new productions being scrapped.
  • Less risk when investing in new products, as highly specialized components can be produced in much smaller series sizes and significantly cheaper than before.

Facts

  • Investment by Innovation Fund Denmark: DKK 7,6 mio.
  • Overall budget: DKK 10,3 mio.
  • Duration: 3 years.
  • Official title: Additive Manufacturing Farm

Want to know more about 3D printing at Carmo?

Do you want to know more about how Carmo can help you and your business, then contact Head of R&D and Technology anj@carmo.dk.

Author: Ole Eldar Andersen