The factory will be built by a Belgian company Materialise NV, which intends to invest several million dollars in this project and employ approx. 50 people. The construction is slated to launch later this year, with completion scheduled for mid-2017.
Nowadays, Materialise NV is the world's leader in additive manufacturing. Two years ago, it merged with a Wroclaw start-up, e-Prototypy S.A. Currently, the majority of the company's products is made in Wroclaw Technology Park. This is also where commercial, IT, research and development, and accounting divisions are located, which will move to a new facility next year.
Details matter
Apart from 3D printers, the new plant will also be equipped with a full post-production facility, allowing any type of finish in the manufactured elements available for this technology.
'We want to maintain the position of a global leader in our industry also in the future,' says Piotr Adamczewski, Director of the Materialise SA. branch. 'We hope that the more attractively priced offer will allow us to benefit and increase our competitiveness in international markets. At the same time, we will constantly invest in the future, expanding our knowledge of technology and digital solutions functioning in the booming industry of 3D printing.
Technology of manufacturing finished products, commonly known as 3D printing, is a process that turns a virtual 3D model into a real object by adding successive layers of the material. It contrasts with the majority of traditional production methods.
Materialise's innovative offer can benefit such industries as automotive, aviation, medical, household appliances, consumer electronics and fashion designers, as well as a range of other industries where it is necessary to customize the product, or in short-run production. An additional advantage of this type of solution is the possibility of manufacturing elements in shapes that are impossible to produce using standard manufacturing methods.
Life-saving technology
"Among our products and services are also innovations in the field of biomedical research,' says Piotr Adamczewski. 'We help making life-saving discoveries and take health care to a whole new level, by e.g. by working closely with surgeons in the planning and execution of complex surgical procedures. In short, we put people back on their feet. One example is the preparation of models of hearts for two patients from India, which exactly reproduced the defects - complex congenital heart diseases. The doctors admitted that saving the life of these patients was made possible through the use of our technology, by printing 3D models of the hearts. It allowed the specialists to prepare precisely for the surgeries, which would be impossible with traditional diagnosis.
On the other hand, in 2014 a New York newborn with a congenital heart defect was saved in a similar way, thanks to Materialise. Experts say that the use of 3D models makes the work much easier, and in the future should become the standard in surgery, e.g. in the creation of models for individual patients prepared for complicated procedures, preoperative planning, and creating anatomical models and implants tailored to a patient's individual needs.
Tutankhamen's mummy in 3D print
Additive manufacturing technology is gaining recognition not only in the medical industry. It is successfully used in the aviation industry, in search of stronger, lighter and more durable components. An example of this influence is a close cooperation of the company Materialise with Airbus.
One of Materialise's most spectacular achievements was to prepare a replica of the mummy of Tutankhamen, printed in 3D, which is presented in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings in Luxor. The plant in Wroclaw also created a spectacular chandelier commissioned by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.
