Hello! Today, after a relaxed morning in, we visited both a 3D-printed bridge and the company that created it. We traveled with the metro to the red light district, where the bridge lies. Interestingly (or maybe not too surprisingly), I found the metro was way cleaner than the subways in America.
Before discussing the bridge we visited, I am going to talk about the company visit. MX3D is a company based in Amsterdam that created a robotic wire-arc-additive-manufacturing (WAAM) that allows customers to 3D print complex, organic shapes out of various types of metal. This can be done on a large scale, as seen by the 3D-printed bridge in Amsterdam. At the company visit, we learned about the history of the company and how they produced the WAAM robotic printer. Essentially, the company started in 2006 as more of an art curator. They wanted to find ways to create fluid, organic shapes out of stainless steal. At the time, they found the best way was subtractive manufacturing, where you start with large piece and remove material to get the designated shape. They did this with a laser-dust system. While effective, they found that it was highly expensive and hard to replicate. This led them to additive manufacturing (3D-printing).
The history follows a similar pattern of using a project, like creating a complex chair, and figuring out how to do something new. For example, after they created their first WAAM robot, they tried to make a new one that could do aluminum metal instead of stainless steel. I found this especially interesting, as it pertains to the design process taught to all engineers. A lot of their earlier projects, like the metal chairs and couch, were more of a statement than a real product. Yes, we are able to print with stainless steel. Yes, we just printed this awesome couch with super complex organic shapes. No, you cannot afford this couch. The point is, the company is constantly finding new boundaries to push and break. I think it it was vital to their success and a very important lesson to reflect on.
And now: the bridge! MX3D was commissioned by the city to create this famous bridge. It is the first of its kind. To be perfectly transparent, the bridge wasn’t anything to spectacular to see. However, it was very cool to learn about. This bridge boosted MX3D’s popularity and allowed for the company to move into its more profitable business strategies. Nowadays, MX3D focuses on allowing customers to use their WAAM technology to produce custom products. MX3D can and will help with the design process, but the company is essentially just allowing other companies to use their technology. For example, if a car company needs a part mass produced, MX3D could use their WAAM printers to create these parts. From concept to customer, MX3D is able to do it with their 3D printers with a plethora of advantages to traditional methods. For example, WAAM technology is able to be run nearly 24/7 without the constant need for employee labor. This saves the companies money and speeds up the process. A very interesting business strategy they revealed to us is that they will print parts that already exist in the world and improve them. This way, similar to the art projects, they can make a statement that they are highly capable of XYZ (depending on the situation).
After the visit, we ventured for lunch and then attended a dinner at a goat farm. This was a really cool restaurant, because it was a nonprofit for people with special needs. Though, the peanut butter soup definitely caused some controversy among the group. Overall, this day was very educational on the engineering side, being able to see the design process of the WAAM technology. Tomorrow, we are traveling to Rotterdam for a very full and exciting day. Stay tuned!
Until then, Dankjewel –> Thank you!
