Today started a little bit later than the other days. Around noon, we got to travel down to central Amsterdam and saw the MX3d bridge. This famous bridge was entirely 3D printed, and it is an impressive feat of architecture and engineering. The company MX3d is a 3D printing company that has outstanding printing capabilities. We were lucky enough to meet with one of their employees and learn about the company.

We were first given the history of the company and 3D printing. Casting models for something like a metal chair used to be the fastest form to make it, but this process took a lot of time and most of the time the mold could not be reused. MX3d used their giant 3D printing robot arm to make a chair with incredible speed. The robot arm itself has parts that are made of 3D printed steel itself. This chair and their bridge are more artistic than practical, and they mainly highlight the capabilities of the company’s technology. However, the company is very successful in making 3D printed parts for their customers. A few of the benefits of using MX3d include, flexibility, speed, and ease of use. As seen from the picture below, the concept to customer process of a finished MX3d product is very clear. It begins with the design file and the input from what the customer is looking for. During the entire design process, there are constant data analytics on how the machine can make a product more effective or just overall better. This process is very methodical and explains why the company is very successful. They even have relations with the US government (which are super top secret).

After the company visit, we all went to Westerpark and enjoyed a nice dinner at Buurtboerderij. One of the courses, peanut soup, was unlike anything I’ve had in America. Definitely an acquired taste, but dinner was a fun experience. I can’t wait to travel to Rotterdam tomorrow!