The customisation of mass production | Formlabs
From hubcap to organ model:
how 3D printing is making industries future-proof.
The future is now. 3D printers are already running at full speed, fulfilling customer needs and enhancing productivity in a variety of areas – layer by layer.
Formlabs, developer and manufacturer of powerful and easily accessible 3D printing systems, is revolutionising mass production in line with the zeitgeist – it’s all about individuality. The company is headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts, where it develops and produces 3D printers, software and high-performance materials for a variety of different sectors.
3D printers can be used in almost any field of production. Be it for design in the broadest sense, in the medical sector or the automotive industry – they can all benefit from the advantages of 3D printing: you can print, test and adapt immediately. Prototypes can be produced on-site, eliminating the need for the expensive, complex and often outsourced production of casting moulds. Individual items can easily be integrated into a company’s product lines without disrupting existing processes.
Examples from everyday life show the sheer range of possibilities that arise from 3D printing: from customised hubcaps to unique razor handles and bespoke wedding rings. This also opens up exciting opportunities in surgery: organs that have been affected by tumours can be scanned in order to be duplicated by 3D printers. Surgeons can then use the duplicate to simulate the operation in advance, allowing for more accurate results. And that is just the beginning of a promising technology in a world that continues to strive for uniqueness. But what are the implications for companies? Those who print will be in it for the long run.
Founded by former MIT students in 2011, the company has its European hub in Berlin with over 100 international employees. We at Adel & Link support Formlabs as thought leaders, develop success stories and share them in the German media landscape to reach experts and the general public. Our stories and interviews have appeared in publications such as Handelsblatt and Wirtschaftswoche as well as in relevant trade magazines.
We regularly bring Formlabs together with the media for exclusive interviews at trade fairs, thus helping to raise the company’s profile in a wide range of sectors such as mechanical engineering, healthcare, dental and the jewellery industry.