The German engineering giant Thyssenkrupp has officially opened its first additive manufacturing facility in Mulheim an der Ruhr, Germany. 

Back in April, the German engineering pioneer Thyssenkrupp announced plans to launch its first additive manufacturing facility. This week, the TechCenter Additive Manufacturing center finally opened in Mulheim an der Ruhr, Germany. The official ribbon cutting is expected to spark the start of a new relationship between Thyssenkrupp and 3D printing technology.

According to Hans-Josef Hoß, a board member of Thyssenkrupp Materials Services, the company is well positioned to take on the industrial market.

“We know exactly what materials are best suited to what products and have the logistics and project management experience to help the TechCenter advance quickly. We involved our customers from the word go and can manufacture parts quickly in line with their individual requirements and in batch sizes as low as one.”

Thyssenkrupp CEO Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger claims that the commitment to the emerging technology is a major part of the company’s digital transformation strategy. Using decades of their own engineering experience, the manufacturer will work with research partners with knowledge in additive manufacturing.

Thyssenkrupp’s TechCenter Additive Manufacturing Facility: Unlocking the Potential of 3D Printing

At the moment, the TechCenter Additive Manufacturing facility has just two 3D machines on the floor, a plastic SLS 3D printer and also a metal 3D printer. The latter is an EOS M 290 SLM 3D printing platform.

The small team from Thyssenkrupp will receive support from an interdisciplinary additive manufacturing project group set up by the company back in 2015. In fact, the group is also in the middle of trying to secure several patents for 3D printed products. For the engineering giant, 3D printing technology will enable more design and also manufacturing freedom.

“For the first time, we can focus fully on the design itself without having to factor in the restrictions imposed by conventional manufacturing processes – that opens up completely new potential for innovation,” said Dr Reinhold Achatz, Chief Technology Officer at Thyssenkrupp.

The TechCenter team will also pick up on the work initiated by the project group. The overall aim is to further technological development. Additionally, the staff will focus on projects that showcase how 3D printing can impact the industry. At first,Thyssenkrupp’s central development department will manage the additive manufacturing facility. However, after three years, the TechCenter will fall under the company’s Materials Services business sector.

Source: TCT Magazine