Protolabs opens new €16 million AM centre in Germany
November 17, 2021
Protolabs Europe, headquartered in Telford, UK, reports that it has opened a new €16 million European Additive Manufacturing centre in Putzbrunn near Munich, Germany, boosting the company’s Additive Manufacturing capacity by 60%. The new facility will enable customers to access faster lead times, with more than sixty industrial AM machines now offering metal and plastic parts through a range of AM technologies.
The company has stated that the timing is ideal, with clients in the automotive, aerospace, electrical, industrial, medical and energy sectors looking to invest following the easing of lockdown.
“The new production facility expands our capacity and enables further growth for pioneering 3D printing technologies in the future,” stated Bjoern Klaas, vice president and Managing Director of Protolabs Europe. “Our UK customers will enjoy an even greater range of services and this latest investment will undoubtedly help us meet our promise of delivering prototypes and low-volume production parts in just a few days.”
Protolabs has also enhanced its commitment to the environment with several sustainable features included in the design of the Putzbrunn plant, building on its ISO 14001 certification and desire to save resources whilst reducing its CO2 footprint.
This is said to already be evident in energy consumption alone, which has been reduced by leveraging the capabilities of heat recovery and waste heat utilisation, as well as the intelligent linking of engineering processes.
The new location, which keeps noise emissions below 26 decibels, also includes charging facilities for electric and hybrid vehicles in its own parking garage and draws on a mix of green electricity.
“The opening of the 3D printing centre illustrates our long-term corporate strategy, which is geared towards fast evolving technologies, rapidly shifting markets, environmental considerations and world-class employees,” added Klaas.
“In doing so, we want to fulfil our social responsibility, as well as deliver an unparalleled service through digital manufacturing. This approach enables our customers to more rapidly develop their products, go to market faster, reduce manufacturing costs and achieve a flexible supply chain throughout the entire product lifecycle.”
