The Customer
Vogel Druck und Medienservice GmbH was established in 1891 and currently has a workforce of 350 employees. It's one of the top web offset and media service providers in Germany and is affiliated with Bertelsmann Marketing Services. The company is known for its expertise in magazine and catalog production.
The Challenge
The team found out that their service provider was using Markforged® printers and they were really impressed with the test parts they got. Like many other industries, the printing business is dealing with big challenges nowadays. With everything going digital and the costs of paper and materials going up, the industry needs to find better ways to work. Jörg Kuchenmeister, who runs Vogel Druck, has seen a lot of changes in the industry over the past 20 years, and his company has always adapted by investing in new ideas and technology.
One big problem the industry faces is the sky-high cost of replacing parts for older machines, which can cost hundreds of thousands of euros. To tackle this hefty expense, Kuchenmeister looked into 3D printing as a solution and quickly got into additive manufacturing (AM) through a 3D printing service provider.
They found out they could use the 3D-printed parts in their current machines without any issues. But Kuchenmeister felt the process wasn't flexible enough. He wanted to develop the knowledge and skills within his own company.
The Solution
Stefan Kemmer, the Quality Assurance Lead, took charge of their machine part supply chain and bought a Mark Two for the facility. He learned CAD design on his own, with support from his team, and their success story started to pick up speed.
The new combo of material, software, and hardware from Digital Forge made it easier to kick things off and fully implement the new innovation across the company. Any doubts about the new technology were quickly erased when the technicians saw its benefits.
About three weeks after getting the Markforged Mark Two 3D printer, it faced its first real test. During a shift, a machine part broke down, bringing production to a stop.
When the regular supplier said it would take 6 – 8 weeks to deliver a spare part, the technician contacted Stefan Kemmer. Kemmer quickly designed the broken component in Fusion 360 and sent it to the printer. Within just four hours, the technician had the newly 3D-printed spare part in hand. They installed it and restarted the machine, all in the same shift. This success led to more printed replacement parts for other machines and units, minimizing disruption without needing to take apart any machinery. Parts made of POM material, as well as aluminum and steel, were designed and printed in very short time frames.
The use of the 3D printer kept growing across the organization, focusing on two areas: Machine spare parts & Enhancements like jigs or mounts.
In the picture below, you can see two spare parts for traditional printing machines. While these are small, they're crucial for machine operation. Previously, when these parts broke, they had to rely on third-party suppliers to make custom parts. Now, they can easily replace these parts within a day's notice.
Vogel Druck now easily replaces many machine parts. For instance, when a machine 'finger' breaks, it typically costs about €450 to replace. But with the printed finger, the cost is only €3.50. They need to replace around 30 to 40 fingers per year, so they've saved about €20,000 in a short amount of time. Because they're using the printer so much, the company decided to buy another Markforged Mark Two. In the picture above, you can see a 'finger' on an industrial printing machine that holds down recently printed booklets.
Conclusion
All the money saved from using the Mark Two has been carefully tracked and documented, proudly called the 'celebration list' by Kuchenmeister. The introduction of 3D printing has always been an exciting step forward in technology, and Vogel Druck's experience shows the real benefits this innovation can offer. They've gone from just replacing minor parts to realizing major cost savings, with both Mark Two printers saving them around €82,000 in just nine months.
Another advantage of 3D printing is the ability to make spare parts that are often hard to find or no longer available. Printing a part means machines can keep running longer or equipment can be put back into action more quickly. By using additive manufacturing for spare parts and tools, they've been able to increase mileage by up to 20% depending on the product, through machine optimization. Savings of over 90% on spare parts and faster setup times provide even more significant benefits for Vogel Druck.
“There is no way around Markforged. This is the most coherent system on the market. We received a complete solution in the field of 3D printing. We can fully focus on our core business and use the added value of the technology."
– Jörg Kuchenmeister MANAGING DIRECTOR VOGEL DRUCK
The Future
In the future, Vogel Druck plans to keep using their Mark Two printers, expanding the list of components they can substitute with 3D-printed ones for even bigger cost savings. As the company grows and evolves, they might consider investing in another Markforged 3D printer.
Additionally, a US partner company has already decided to invest in a Markforged 3D printer, spreading the potential benefits of Markforged technology to a wider international audience and promoting shared experience and learning. Jörg Kuchenmeister and the team at Vogel Druck are excited for a period of growth and collaboration ahead.
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