What 3D printing can do

Ten years ago, 3D printing was still dismissed as a manufacturing process exclusively for prototyping. Today, industrial 3D printing is much more than that. Due to its high quality criteria such as excellent mechanical properties, chemical resistance, dimensional accuracy, high reproducibility, and, not least, significantly reduced costs, industrial 3D printing is now a cost-effective alternative to conventional manufacturing processes in series production.

Orthoses, saddles, shock absorbers, etc.

For example, patient-specific orthoses in quantities of 1 up to plugs for electrical installations with snap hooks in quantities of up to 100,000 pieces can be economically manufactured using 3D printing.

Traditional company with innovative

With its roots in traditional manufacturing processes, Launhardt has invested heavily in industrial 3D printing. "At Launhardt, we not only have our own customized industrial 3D printing systems, but we have also researched and developed innovative 3D printing materials as part of research projects," explains Dr.-Ing. Martin Launhardt, second-generation managing director of the family business. "3D printing no longer consists solely of individual systems; it requires extensive pre- and post-processing processes, all of which must be operated within a highly automated process to ensure cost-effective production.

The two Launhardt brothers took over the company Launhardt GmbH from their parents in 2021 and defined the clear goal of To be able to offer 3D printing with a high material variety economically.

Innovation and research projects

In response to the need for innovative materials for 3D printing, Launhardt, a specialist in additive manufacturing, has researched a soft thermoplastic polyurethane for 3D printing. This material can be used to produce bellows, prosthetics, dampers, system feet, and seals. Other materials are currently being researched.

This includes not only maintaining a very high quality standard, but also further developing automated additive manufacturing. In this context, we have installed the latest equipment from Ossberger (https://www.ossberger.de/oberflaechentechnik/plattform-finish-am) to make series production using 3D printing flexible yet highly automated. This automated additive manufacturing also makes it possible to deliver all components with virtually the same quality, and in record time.

https://www.regiomanager.de/unternehmen/launhardt-gmbh/