Materialise launches AM advisory service
Materialise, an Additive Manufacturing solutions company headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, is launching an advisory service that offers businesses strategic, tailored and technology-neutral insights on the use of Additive Manufacturing to address their business challenges. The new service, Mindware, was introduced by Bart Van Der Schueren, CTO at Materialise during a live webinar on May 20.
The company explains that AM offers businesses a way to establish more sustainable supply chains and reduce the costs associated with operational inefficiency, by enabling decentralisation of manufacturing and production on-demand. The technology is also known for its ability to enable new business models such as mass production of customised products, and bring innovation to market in record time.
However, Materialise states that business leaders frequently cite one barrier against the widespread adoption of Additive Manufacturing: the lack of knowledge and experience. The company conducted a survey last year which illustrated that nearly 50% of manufacturers expect the use of AM to double in the next five years, but 41% see the lack of expertise as a major hurdle.
As companies begin to resume their operations after the lockdowns caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19), rising financial pressures are likely to render businesses more sensitive to investment risks.
Van Der Schueren commented, “3D printing offers unique opportunities for businesses looking to gain or maintain a competitive edge, while keeping investment risk low. It is critical however, to tap into a source that is both knowledgeable and unbiased. 3D printing covers a range of technologies which are each ideally suited to varying applications, and neutrality is key in ensuring that the right technologies are chosen in each context.”
Mindware will reportedly bring businesses into direct contact with Materialise’s experts and their insights, building a substantial foundation of knowledge to build their AM strategy upon. The new advisory service is managed by a team of business strategists at Materialise, and supported by a network of experts throughout the 2000-employee company. Clients can receive customised insights from specialists in disciplines ranging from R&D, to design and engineering, to process engineering, as well as specialists dedicated to verticals such as the medical and aerospace industries.
Van Der Schueren added, “We have spent the past three decades working out how to make 3D printing efficient, reliable, meaningful, and scalable. Now, we’re sharing our know-how and capabilities to assist businesses. Hardware and software are critical ingredients, but nothing substitutes the right know-how. Unbiased advisory is in the Materialise DNA, and I believe where we can really make a difference for our customers is with Mindware.”
