The future of desktop 3D printing according to Ultimaker

By Site editors - January 2017 - Price update: 25 April 2024 -

Jos Berger, the CEO of Ultimaker, has in an interview given his views on the future of 3D printing. He also discusses what the developments may mean to his company.

Grown-up
Now that evermore companies find good reasons to use the technology, the 3D printing sector is maturing rapidly. Jos Berger, CEO of Ultimaker, thinks that 3D printing really will change Organizations: "While the technology until recently focused on prototyping and making mock-ups, it is now becoming a very good alternative for producing tools and even customizing products for the end user." And Berger should know, because through the direct contact with leading brands in education, the automobile industry and technology brands, such as Airbus, Google, Apple, MIT and Tesla, Ultimaker has a good insight on how their printers are being applied, making it possible for them to predict how the sector is going to change in the near future.

Scope
Berger: "We see that the scope of desktop 3D printers has enormously increased and that the devices can now deliver the same high quality results as industrial 3D printers. But then for a fraction of the costs." He continues: "The beauty of 3D printing is that it is very versatile and offers many possibilities. It can now be integrated with other systems (like ERP and PDM), which may improve the workflow of an entire company."

Berger sees that the 3D printing sector is also experiencing a significant expansion in the areas of material choice and software development. "Where we previously only had access to PLA and ABS, the number of available 3D printing fibers is growing rapidly," says Berger. Ultimaker now offers a variety of industrial plastics, including nylon, CPE+, PC and TPU 95A. This allows users to produce an even wider range of printing results.

Future of Ultimaker
Berger also describes where he sees his company in five years and indicates that Ultimaker is ready to grow, but in the process won't lose focus on its own identity and what is important for the clients: "We are constantly looking for new partners and opportunities to work together, however, we are not just focused on internal progress, but on the progress of the whole industry."

"We will continue to deliver new equipment when it adds value and as long as it meets the needs of our customers. We certainly make it our priority that our customers can in the future print more complex products."

Berger emphasizes that companies can do much more with 3D printing than just prototyping and the technology can be used to streamline production and increase manufacturing efficiency.