K3D, a Dutch high-tech company that offers the industry access to 3D printing knowledge and capacity in its Printing Technology Centers, has won the TCT Industrial Product Application Award 2019 with their 3D printed dough knife. “This clearly shows how many industries beyond the mature aerospace and automotive applications can benefit from our industrial additive manufacturing technology”, says Daan Kersten, CEO of Additive Industries, the supplier of K3D’s 3D metal printing machines. K3D-AddFab is preparing to start activities at Brainport Industries Campus (BIC) in Eindhoven.
The jury of the TCT Awards praised K3D’s industrial robot dough cutting knife. “It has been redesigned for powder bed fusion leading to a myriad of benefits including part reduction of 20 to 1 and weight reduction of 90%. Unique Additive Manufacturing improvements include porous structures for better cleaning as well as an inbuilt bearing, leaf spring and thread. This led to more cuts per hour reducing the need from 8 to 6 robots and saving €120,000.”
The third annual TCT Awards ceremony, took place this Wednesday at the National Conference Centre in Birmingham. Industry leaders celebrated the innovators, technologies and collaborators behind the best examples of Additive Manufacturing, 3D Printing, Design and Engineering across the globe.
TCT about the category in which K3D won the first prize: “Industrial products work behind the scenes to keep our industries working. Whether it be factory automation equipment, farming tools or material handling machines, there is little that is not touched by an industrial designer. 3D technologies are being increasingly adopted by this sector to drive unique developments.”