Located in the Netherlands, ERIKS is a company that provides technical components and services to various industries. The company's interior is like a scene from a science fiction movie: overhead conveyor belts, technological equipment, and welding sparks are everywhere. However, in such a diverse industrial manufacturing environment, cleanliness and safety are their first principles. How does ERIKS use 3D printing technology to open up services that are enough to shake up the global industry?
"Maintaining cleanliness and safe operation" is key to the company's high efficiency and an indispensable element in achieving production targets and delivery dates. The interior is brightly lit and the floors are spotless. "We have been using 3D printing for some time, mainly to manufacture prototypes, jigs and fixtures, as well as end parts that were previously impossible to manufacture; we currently have dozens of certified custom parts used to improve the safety of our production equipment," said Job van de Sande, Head of Polymer Technology at ERIKS.
Modern 3D printing technology can meet a variety of needs, such as fixing the film roll so that it can be changed by a single person, or fixing the position of special parts so that a robotic arm can weld them completely. Job emphasized, "Using 3D printing processes is not just about increasing output and improving work safety; so far, we have saved 350,000 euros (approximately NT$10 million) in the production process." The manpower and time saved in each process ultimately add up to a huge cost difference, and even protect the lives of professionals.
The addition of 3D printing technology allows "ERIKS" to offer new services. However, the challenge is that business owners often find it difficult to identify problems or key processes that need improvement within their existing systems. Therefore, they provide "site screening" services and offer customized production guidelines to achieve real results.
Improvement tools, after rapid field screening, are designed by the customer or ERIKS engineers and then manufactured using the in-house Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle 3D printer system . These custom-made parts at the 3D printing center are certified to offer consistent quality, mechanical performance, and reproducibility.
"Even after years of repeated replacement of consumables, new parts can maintain consistent performance quality; if customers want full control and independent production, they can use the Ultimaker 3D printing system to obtain electronic files and print them themselves, significantly saving on warehousing and logistics costs." The Ultimaker 3D printing system is fully integrated from hardware and software to material suppliers, and devices can work freely at opposite ends of the earth through remote transmission—these digital transformations can save costs for both ERIKS and the client.
ERIKS' new clean production equipment complies with EC1935, 2004 and features a large ISO 6 cleanroom. In addition to complying with European food safety regulations, it is also applying for FDA approval. In the future, it will continue to expand into food safety 3D printed parts, pharmaceuticals, and medical applications, proactively serving a more diverse industrial structure.
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