It certainly does not require the imagination of a child to imagine the many ways 3D printing could change the spare parts industry as we know it today. Imagine being able to produce and deliver replacement parts at the push of a button when the demand arises, and never have to struggle with back orders. Imagine never having to look back on storage shelves with unsold parts. That sounds nice - right? But is that at all possible?
In the search of answers to these questions, we visited Danish Technological Institute, where the director of the department for Industrial Materials Technology, Claus Erichsen Kudsk enlightened us about the development of 3D printing. The Danish Technological Institute have been following the development of 3D printing from its very beginnings. Moreover, they have been a supplier of 3D prints and offered consultancy to companies concerning rapid prototyping (production of model models and prototypes related to product development projects), rapid manufacturing and additive manufacturing (utilization of 3D printing in manufacturing).
In addition, two of our own colleagues have both an interest as well as experience within the field. Product Team Manager Asger Thybo Geertsen's interest in 3D printing is not just professionally based, but also privately, where Asger himself has invested in 3D printers and experimented with the technology. Marketing Manager Thomas Fuglsang Andersen has among others, during his seven-year career at the Danish Technological Institute, conveyed knowledge about 3D printing.