History K3D

Upload
Feedback
Production

Pilot plant

With several manufacturing industry partners, we participated in a joint pilot factory for 3D metal printing, called AddLab, at Stijp-S in Eindhoven. In just three years, this has become a hotspot for industrial additive manufacturing, competing with the world’s best. More than 20 engineers from the nine participating companies have gained extensive knowledge and experience in designs for 3D printing, material research, the 3D printing process, and the finishing and testing of printed parts. During that period, an essential foundation was laid for applications of this new digital production technology in the Dutch manufacturing industry.

First printer

At the end of the AddLab program, parent company Kaak Group (now Royal Kaak) purchased one of Additive Industries’ first MetalFAB1 metal printers in September 2016. from Additive Industries.At the end of the AddLab program, parent company Kaak Group (now Royal Kaak) purchased one of Additive Industries’ first MetalFAB1 metal printers in September 2016. They bought this metal printer to manufacture parts for the bread baking lines in stainless steel and tool steel. Kaak was so pleased with the Eindhoven collaboration (where knowledge, experience, and skills were shared, and time and money were invested) that the new metal printer was once again exploited as part of a collaboration. exploited. 

Kaak decided to share the machine’s capacity with several other industry leaders in the east of the Netherlands, such as Royal Eijkelkamp, Goma, Copal Handling Systems, Hittech Bihca, Bronkhorst Hightech, and Van Raam. The machine was upgraded from two to four lasers within a short period to keep up with increasing demand. 

Privatization

During the second half of 2017, due to their great ambitions in the field of 3D metal printing, Kaak decided to privatize the 3D metal print production and house it in a wholly owned subsidiary: K3D. To implement the distributed manufacturing vision, K3D is now building a network of local K3D Printing Technology Centers. If these prove successful, we will roll out our technology abroad.

Brainport Campus

We continued our collaboration with KMWE, NTS, and Machinefabriek de Valk in a slimmed-down version during 2016, 2017, and 2018 under the name of AddFab.

K3D decided to start a new branch in Eindhoven in addition to the successful print center in Terborg. This resulted in a renewed collaboration with NTS, KMWE, Additive Industries, and Machinefabriek de Valk, called K3D-AddFab. Mid-2020, K3D-AddFab was fully operational on the Brainport Industries Campus at the heart of the manufacturing industry.

K3D is now one of the market leaders in 3D metal printing in the Netherlands. Together with our partners, educational institutions, and (local) governments, we are working toward creating a knowledge exchange network, a chain of companies that are experts in this new technology, and rolling it out for BV Netherlands.

Download our technical brochure