Rutland Plastics is a custom injection molding company located in Rutland, United Kingdom that produces products for a wide range of companies and industries.

Based in Bangor, Northern Ireland, Whale Pumps designs and manufactures a diverse range of pumping and heating systems that include plastic and rubber parts for consumer and industrial applications around the world.

Genesis Systems Group, headquartered in Davenport, Iowa, designs, builds and implements robotic automation systems. Its expertise enables the production of a wide array of products in the automotive, construction, aviation and recreational vehicle industries, to name a few.

Netherlands – Visiting Additive Industries' stand at Formnext 2015 was truly worthwhile as the company offered visitors a unique view into their industrial 3D metal printing system via a 3D movie. The dutch company has unveiled what they refer to as the world’s ‘first truly industrial’ 3D metal printing system.

Additive manufacturing of components can be an economical solution for many companies. However, there are several cost factors that should be considered.

Aircraft manufacturers, automotive OEMs and designers: When rapid production of small batches of complex parts is required, more and more companies are turning to 3D metal printing. However, there are ways for traditional foundries to make friends with the competing manufacturing method.

Germany - Increasing cost pressures and fiercer competition are driving toolmakers to embrace new concepts such as Tooling 4.0 and to industrialise their operations to reduce idle and lead times by limiting the number of variations in tool components and processes.

Germany – Phoenix Contact founded a new member of the Group of companies, Protiq, based in Blomberg. The focus of the new company is additive manufacturing, using 3D printing.

Regardless of rapid developments in materials technologies, die and mould makers still rely heavily on tool steel. Rolf Krusenbaum, sales director for plastic mould steels at Deutsche Edelstahlwerke, notes that another type of steel has been expanding its market footprint.

France - French multinational, Schneider Electric, is epitomising the ‘Factory of the Future’ concept and has incorporated 3D printing technology across its manufacturing operations. This has seen the company slash the cost of producing injection mould inserts used for prototyping designs by up to 90%.