3D打印行业透视@Formnext l 对话GE Arcam EBM CEO Karl Lindblom先生
Formnext 2018展会期间，3D科学谷联合创始人Korinna Penndorf 女士与3D打印行业专家进行了访谈，通过5个问题的问答揭示行业发展机遇、挑战与趋势。
3D打印行业透视@Formnext的本期被采访对象是GE Arcam EBM 的CEO Karl Lindblom 先生。
左：Karl Lindblom, GE Arcam EBM CEO
右： Korinna Penndorf, 3D科学谷联合创始人
About Formnext
Q1. 贵公司Formnext展会上有哪些亮点？
A：Arcam EBM 在本届Formnext 展会中的亮点是高通量的电子束熔融增材制造系统-Arcam EBM Spectra H，这款设备用于处理高温合金材料的加工，并避免出现裂纹。不仅是性能的提升，这款设备的构建体积也扩大了，Spectra H将能够在超过1000°C的温度下生产更大的零部件。从技术的角度来看，我们正在提高生产率和可靠性。
GE展台@Formnext
Arcam EBM 提供端到端的增材制造解决方案，我们拥有自己的工程服务-AddWorks，增材制造设备以及金属粉末材料和软件，我们也提供3D打印服务。Arcam EBM是一家从材料、设备、工艺、设计等多维度掌握增材制造技术的公司，因此我们能够帮助客户完成从最初设计到投入3D打印运行的完整解决方案，这也是Arcam EBM的市场竞争力。
About Business
Q2. 在您的公司，今年的3D打印业务与去年相比的业绩是怎样的？
A：市场分析数据表明，增材制造行业正在以23%-24％的速度增长，我们的业务也是与这个情况相吻合的，今年，我们的业务得到了稳步发展。
About Challenges
Q3. 当前贵公司3D打印相关的业务所面临的主要挑战是什么？
A：我认为总的来说，挑战来自于3D打印技术从研究探索走向工业化的过程。 许多公司、用户已经在这项技术上进行了多年的研究探索，现在他们必须要进入到下一个阶段了，那就是将3D打印技术应用于批量生产。
在走向批量生产的过程中，3D打印企业需要与制造业用户合作。这也是Arcam EBM 非常重视的事情，并且Arcam EBM已经为帮助制造业用户实现3D打印批量生产积累了充分的人力和经验。
前期的积累也是企业的一项巨大投资，实现量产是对投资的一种回报。
About the industry
Q4. 关于3D打印行业的发展，您怎么看待2018年的发展情况，您觉得站在行业发展的角度，今年主要的发展以及障碍有哪些？
A：增材制造技术已在航空航天和医疗等有着严格审核要求的行业中得到了发展，但我们现在看到了更广阔的应用市场，比如说汽车行业等其他制造领域也开始重视3D打印技术，他们对3D打印技术的接受度也越来越高。
与制造业用户的深入合作，将3D打印技术从研究探索阶段推动至生产阶段是非常关键的，也是3D打印企业未来几年所面临的挑战。我们需要做的不仅是帮助他们制造现有的零件，还需要帮助他们重新设计零件，并针对他们的需求进行增材制造设计优化，帮助他们以最有效的方式开展增材制造的生产，帮助用户完成验证过程，为他们提供专业的培训，以帮助他们以专业的方式运行和操作3D打印设备，最终帮助他们实现生产。
About the future of AM
Q5. 您个人或者您公司对与未来5年增材制造行业的发展看法如何？
A：从行业角度看，现在市场上有众多3D打印企业，未来将会出现公司之间的整合。
从技术角度和工业化角度来看，我认为我们未来应为制造业用户提供的更多的是完整增材制造解决方案。Arcam EBM 将结合打印前解决方案、先进的3D打印设备，以及后处理工艺，在未来5年为制造用户提供基于产品制造的解决方案。
我认为未来5年3D打印技术将能够实现向工业化的转变，这一技术的竞争力将得到提升。
-- 英文采访 --
Q1: What’s your highlights here at Formnext?
A: For me it is fascinating to see how this exhibition is growing year by year. This year we have, I think, almost twice as many exhibitors as last year and it is fascinating how much attention this industry is getting now. I met some former colleague from the conventional industries and they also want to be here as suppliers next year. So I believe this show will continue to grow. That’s a good sign for the industry as such.
Since I am from Arcam EBM I will focus on the EBM technology we show here which is our latest development called Arcam Spectra H. It is a new platform intended to be used for hot material, which is where we are unique of course. From a technology point of view also with this machine we are improving productivity, reliability – really taking a big step with our technology into the next five years.
Korinna Penndorf: Looking around, there is a lot of noise and it feels nearly every other company says they are the absolute game changer and breakthrough in additive manufacturing. Where do you stand as ArcamEBM and how do you perceive this?
We are standing out, I think, because we offer end-to-end solutions. That means we have AddWorks, you could call that engineering services, we have machines, we have powder, we have software but we also have services. So I think we are one of the few players that can help the customers from A to Z on their additive journey and that’s why we stand out in my opinion. We have a number of cases where we helped the customer from the initial design review until the machine was up and running.
Q2: If you look at how the business has been faring this year as opposed the previous one, what has been the development?
A:The official statistic is saying that the additive industry is growing with 23, 24 percent and that is in the neighbourhood where we are also. For us this year has been a good year.
Korinna Penndorf: So what has been reported in analysis by Context and such, you would confirm that?
Yes, we would confirm that.
Q3: What is the current challenge for you at the moment . the problem you are trying to solve in the near future?
A:I think in general the challenge is to go from the research to industrialisation. A lot of companies have a number of years into this technology and now they have to take the next step, which is basically going into serial production. We need to hold hand with a lot of customers on this journey. That’s also why I think we will be successful. We have the size, the manpower, the knowledge to help the customer on this journey. So I think that is the biggest challenge.
First Concept Laser M LINE FACTORY systems to be delivered in Q2 2019. (Photos: GE Additive, GEADPR010)
Korinna Penndorf: That is also an investment, I believe, from your side?
It’s a huge investment, but it is now really the time to show that on that research money, you can get the payback on it. This is why we have to make sure we take the technology out of the research departments into the manufacturing area.
Q4: How would you look at the year 2018 for the overall industry: what’s been the major developments and obstacles for the industry?
A: I would say, additive has been extremely strong in highly regulated industries such as the aerospace and medical, but I think we see a broader market now opening up. We see a lot of interest from the automotive industry and others also. The acceptance for the technology is becoming bigger and bigger actually. I expect to see that continue the coming years.
At the end of the day you need to have a good business case. Without a good business case everything falls apart basically. That is why it is so important now to take AM from the research area to the industrialisation phase. That’s where we need to help our customers not only taking a part they already have, but helping them to redesign the part and to optimize it for AM. Help them to set up the production in the most efficient way. Train them how to run and operate the machine in a professional way. Help them through the validation process and maybe help them to shorten that time also. Help them to keep the machine running and producing parts. That’s the biggest challenge still for the coming years.
Q5: How do you think things will develop over the next 5 years?
A: There are a lot of companies right now. I think you will see a consolidation, but what I expect to see more from a technology point of view or from an industrialisation point of view is that we are talking more about that complete system. We are still very machine oriented. We are talking a lot about the machine performance, but the machine is only one piece in the whole value chain. We as a company will focus much much more on the whole system and I think you will see that in general. I think our offering will change over the next 5 years to much more products and solutions in the future from us pre-machine solutions and post-processing equipment.
If you look at our industry compared to conventional manufacturing, it is still very manual and research oriented and that needs to be changed over the next 5 years in order to increase the competitiveness of our technology.
Korinna Penndorf: Will this have been achieved in 5 years or will be still be on the way?
I think it will be done. We are moving fast.I see that happening.
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