Materialise Mindware
Helping you strategize and implement your AM ambitions
When you need guidance in harnessing the potential of additive manufacturing for your business, nothing beats first-hand experience. Drawing on Materialise’s decades of experience in building and scaling additive manufacturing (AM) businesses, our Mindware team work hand-in-hand with you to tackle your most pressing challenges, wherever you are on your AM journey. From strategic roadmaps and identifying key applications for AM to deploying full-scale production lines, you can count on us to get you there.
What AM can bring to your business
Increased operational efficiency
Rising cost pressures and global competition mean businesses are looking for more efficient manufacturing processes to increase production output and minimize waste in every sense. AM can help you achieve this, whether you’ve exhausted all other means of incremental improvement or have more room for efficiency gains.
Reduced risk
Dealing with risk is an integral part of growing a business, and successful companies keep a keen eye on ways to mitigate both internal and external risks. AM offers a wealth of opportunities to decrease exposure to risk, from lower upfront investment and reduced stock risk to de-risked supply chains, fewer physical safety risks, and much more.
Accelerated innovation
When you remove the limitations of traditional manufacturing, innovation has no boundaries. AM’s unique benefits open the door to both product and process innovation, letting you reimagine how existing products are made, develop entirely new product categories, or take advantage of opportunities for efficient and cost-effective mass customization.
Reduced costs
Across the product development lifecycle, the value that 3D printing offers speaks for itself. From faster design iterations or rethinking parts to eliminate labor-intensive assembly, to optimizing material usage or avoiding complex tooling for small production runs, AM offers considerable cost savings that will boost your bottom line.
Sustainability-conscious manufacturing
Incorporating more sustainable practices into your production makes sense from both an environmental and business perspective. With 3D printing, you can optimize material usage, reduce stock waste, and cut your carbon footprint by reducing shipping and warehousing needs. All while ensuring the reliable, repeatable quality your customers expect.
How we help
With so much to gain from successfully harnessing the capabilities of additive manufacturing, it’s worth taking the time to get AM adoption right.
Drawing on our in-depth knowledge of additive manufacturing and our experience in developing successful AM businesses, we have compiled a modular series of solutions that cover every aspect of AM adoption, from strategy to implementation.
Wherever you are on your adoption journey, we work closely with you to craft a program that fits your priorities and will help you take the next steps with confidence.
Our modules include:
- AM workshops and masterclasses
- Opportunity spotting
- Technology and material feasibility studies
- Design and engineering for AM
- AM workflow automation
A unique formula for your success
Proven experience in building AM businesses
One way to get a head start in building a successful AM business is to leverage lessons learned. From concept to scaled manufacturing, Materialise has developed dedicated AM production lines for flying parts, patient-specific devices, and eyewear — industries that have exacting standards and where we have further built on our experience in software, printing, and post-processing for AM applications.
State-of-the-art manufacturing
Working with Materialise gives you access to the most advanced 3D printing facilities in Europe — over 180 machines across multiple sites offering leading 3D printing technologies in a range of materials. From design iterations in your prototyping phase to First Article Inspection (FAI) and scaled production, you’ll find the infrastructure and people to help you get your additive manufacturing right.
Advanced software for scaling AM
Successfully scaling additive manufacturing comes down to precision engineering — fine-tuning the production process to ensure repeatability, reliability, and quality. With our Magics and CO-AM software platforms, you have a complete suite of software tools for optimizing every stage of the production process, including application-specific software configurations designed especially for you.
Multidisciplinary teams
Building a successful AM business requires knowledge and input from teams across multiple disciplines, including software, design and engineering, materials and technology R&D, and more. With over 30 years of experience in 3D printing, we can bring together the profiles you need, when you need them, to move your AM ambitions forward.
Values you can count on
Impartial advice
As a company focused on enabling innovation, we are not linked to one specific technology or material. This technology-neutral position means we identify the state-of-the-art techniques that will best fit your needs, and not the other way around.
Solid track record
We’ve been in the 3D printing industry since the beginning. From the early days of learning by doing, we have honed our skills, knowledge, and expertise to become a trusted partner to companies worldwide. Our journey will give you a head start on yours.
Result-oriented implementation
Strategies and plans are important, but they can fall short if you lack hands-on support to put them into practice. After strategizing, we dive right in with you, providing the tools, know-how, processes, and people to make AM come alive in your organization.
Tailored approach
No one understands your business like you do; no one understands 3D printing like we do. By working closely together, we meet you exactly where you are and create a tailored program that suits your ambitions, needs, and timescales.
Inspiration
Discover how other businesses are benefitting from working with our Mindware consultants.