Founded in Austria in 2015, GENERA has dedicated itself to the development of a DLP system and has partnered with a leading global medical group to develop automated and secure workflows. This development, together with the underlying basic idea of creating a complete process from software and printing through to post-processing and the finished component, laid the foundation for the success story. In an interview with 3Druck.com, founder DI Dr. Klaus Stadlmann provides insights into process automation in the field of additive manufacturing.
All of the manufacturer’s systems are developed, tested and optimised by its own R&D team in Vienna, which comprises all relevant specialist areas that work together to pool the expertise of the entire system and process. Thanks to this expertise and close collaboration with customers, the systems are continuously developed to provide the best solutions on the market.
In 2021, GENERA gained Stratasys as a strategic partner and is now scaling into new markets via its global reseller network. The portfolio ranges from desktop solutions (G1/F1) and large-scale all-in-one systems (G3) to fully automated series production (G2/A2/F2). The company therefore offers the right solution for every customer for the automated and reliable production of high-quality components with the GENERA workflow.
The partnerships with globally recognised material manufacturers also guarantee a safe, validated, cost-effective and scalable material library. GENERA thus ensures that customers always have access to the best materials for their specific applications.
Interview with DI Dr. Klaus Stadlmann
In an interview with 3Druck.com, founder DI Dr. Klaus Stadlmann emphasises the importance of automating the entire production process. He also explains which factors he believes play an important role for the industry in the further development of the technology and takes a look at the future potential of additive manufacturing.
In your opinion, how significant are automated processes for additive manufacturing?
DI Dr. Klaus Stadlmann, Founder of GENERA
Automation is of great importance for additive manufacturing. The printing process is already automated, but the entire post-processing is a topic that is often overlooked. Although there are now individual devices that have to be operated manually, only GENERA offers an entire workflow that is automated, harmonised, validated and secure.
It is also extremely important that the data of the entire process is monitored and documented, which is almost impossible with individual systems that are separate from each other and are operated manually. If additive manufacturing is to become more relevant in production and replace injection moulding in certain areas and batch sizes, complete automation of the entire process is essential.
Additive manufacturing has developed continuously in recent years. Which innovations or technological breakthroughs do you think are particularly important for the industrial sector?
It is particularly important that additive manufacturing delivers economical, reproducible and reliable components. In addition, materials must be available that are suitable for technical components or whose properties make it possible to replace injection moulding materials or materials already in use.
The development of materials in recent years has shown the enormous potential of photopolymers and will continue to make enormous advances in the coming years.
First corona and the current high inflation pose major challenges for the entire industry. How do you think the various crises are affecting additive manufacturing?
I think that additive manufacturing now also has a great opportunity to assert itself. The applications that have been implemented in recent years clearly show that the spread of additive manufacturing in the industry is in full swing and that it is increasingly being recognised as an effective manufacturing process for series applications. The corona crisis and the state of the economy have not accelerated the widespread adoption of 3D printing, but the market is still growing steadily year on year. However, corona has shown that our supply chains are very fragile and 3D printing offers a great opportunity to shorten supply chains, react quickly to change and make production flexible.
In your opinion, what impact will additive manufacturing have on various industries and possibly on society as a whole in the coming years?
Additive manufacturing is still in its infancy in many industries and has enormous potential to revolutionise even more traditional sectors if it is used correctly and the benefits are exploited. Tremendous leaps have already been made in recent years and 3D printing is no longer something exotic, but can already be found in many households.
Generally speaking, product life cycles are shortening in most industries and more customisation is required, which means that quantities are decreasing. Combined with new design possibilities, software tools and functional integration, this makes additive manufacturing an essential part of the manufacturing technology portfolio of the present and future. 3D printing has been proving its advantages for years, particularly in the customer-facing sector and in customised medical technology such as audio, dental and orthopaedics, and applications are growing steadily. We at GENERA are also working in this area to revolutionise the manufacture of spectacles, for example. Our developments make it possible to produce individual designs centrally or decentrally with the lowest CO2 footprint in a cost-efficient manner.
