energy efficient, cost-saving and innovative product development from Rapid Prototyping Technology

Introduction

As a result of the Innovation Forum “Rapid Prototyping” in 2008, The Merseburg Innovation and Technology Centre («Merseburger Innovations- und Technologiezentrum») - mitz and University of Applied Sciences Merseburg launched a Network of companies and R&D-institutions in Central Germany.

The Network is called “enficos” and connects regional and national companies as well as research institutions in domains with a lot of prospects such as:

• Automotive industry (production of prototypes and small-scale production)
• Custom-made crafts (stucco, wood, restorers)
• Medical technology
• Architecture
• Design

Fairs

The outset of the Network was very successful thanks to the attendance at the World Fair “Euromold” for Moldmaking and Tooling, Design and Application Development, which was organized in December 2008 in Frankfurt am Main. The Network also attended the fair Rapid.Tech in Erfurt in May 2009 and also the Forum Rapid Prototyping in Merseburg in September 2009.

Important subjects

Important subjects for the member partners are:

• Innovation activities
• Market activities
• Creation of accessibility to new fields of application
• Optimization of the production quality
• Deployment of new biological material

Aim of the Network

Network for making new technologies accessible in high growth fields by means of the Rapid Prototyping methods.

SMEs will be able to work much more efficient and also to make new market sectors accessible by using innovative, computer-assisted production methods such as Rapid Prototyping (RP), Rapid Manufacturing and Rapid Tooling which are used for the production of prototypes, small-scale production and working tools from CAD-data. In this way, the approach, geometry and functioning can also be optimized at an early stage of the development process, before the serial production begins.

Quicker having a product by working together and using new technologies

In a Network Rapid Prototyping consisting of experts and firms using RP, the advantages for regional enterprises in high growth fields like automotive industry, medical technology and custom-made crafts must be used and RP needs further development.

On top of that, the value-added chain offers RP more opportunities for new fields of application, in particular for the deployment of new materials such as biopolymer and new medical technological applications for optimizing the wall thickness and surface finishing including coating technologies.

A qualitative progress of the companies in Central Germany should be achieved and supported from beginning to the end of the production process, by means of considerable shorter innovation cycles and more efficient production methods.

If you have any further questions about the Rapid Prototyping Technologies, please contact us.

Partners

Enterprises (Note: Information in German)
R&D (Research and Development) institutions (Note: Information in German)