ARBURG GmbH + Co KG
The Shanghai facility features four Freeformers for additive manufacturing of benchmark parts and customer training.
Arburg has officially cut the ribbon on a new additive manufacturing (AM) hub in Shanghai.
The new Arburg Prototyping Center (APC) is designed to give existing and prospective customers in China an opportunity to see the German plastic-processing leader's Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) process up close and assess part quality and performance before making the decision to buy.
The centre is home to two pairs of 200-3X and 300-3X Freeformer machines and an array of materials which will be used to 3D print benchmark parts and assess materials from Chinese suppliers. Arburg will also use the hub to provide Freeformer training and give customers hands-on experience with the technology. The company says initial demand is primarily coming from the medical and packaging industries.
"In Asia, we are experiencing growing demand for our Freeformer machines in applications that involve additive manufacturing of functional components made from original materials", says Gerhard Böhm, Managing Director Sales and Service at Arburg. "The new Arburg Prototyping Center in Shanghai is enabling us to expand our AM expertise strategically and respond specifically to the local needs of the Chinese market. Our Arburg China team now has a faster, more focused and highly practical way of helping potential Freeformer customers meet their requirements."
The Shanghai hub is Arburg’s third APC, following sites at its headquarters in Lossburg, Germany and another in Rocky Hill, USA, which each serve Arburg’s three biggest markets. The company says while the new centre will initially serve customers in China, it has ambitions to add more machines and recruit additional staff so that it can expand its offerings to customers throughout Asia.
Arburg launched its first Freeformer AM system back in 2013. Its APF process uses commercially available plastic granules and flexible droplet discharge to produce functional parts with a combination of hard and soft properties
