We started the day with a trip to the center of Amsterdam to visit a stainless steel 3D printed bridge. This bridge is the first of its kind and its production was made possible thanks to MX3D’s involvement in the construction process. The incredible 3D printed project spans the Oudezijds Achterburgwal in Amsterdam’s Red Light District. When visiting, I noticed that portions of the bridge had been welded together. We later learned that the pieces could not all be printed at once, so they were welded together on site and later transported to the Red Light District. The bridge was ultimately transferred to its installation destination by a giant truck, and secured in place by stainless steel planks that were positioned in the ground.
After visiting the physical bridge, we traveled to the MX3D office, the company responsible for building the bridge. MX3D is a Dutch robotics company that specializes in the printing of stainless steel products. One of the employees gave a detailed presentation on the background of the company and its competitive position within the construction industry. We learned that the famous bridge printed by the company served as prime marketing material for MX3D and gave them a competitive advantage against both traditional construction companies and new 3D printing competitors. After the presentation, I asked a question about the service aspect of MX3D’s business: How does MX3D collaborate with its customers throughout the product design process? Do companies often have engineers of their own that want to design the product or is product design something that MX3D specializes in? I learned that the company typically works collaboratively with its customers to change product designs as they are being created. This cooperation ensures greater consumer satisfaction and increases the sustainability and effectiveness of the product.