3D printing - or additive manufacturing (AM) - can be cheaper and faster than traditional manufacturing, contributing to a more innovative and sustainable production, which can create added value for companies.

A world leader in LED lighting systems, Signify, has recently embraced 3D printing. The method alone has reduced the CO2-imprint of their production by 47 pct. In addition, the lighter materials used in 3D printing have further reduced the imprint of Signify’s freight and supply chains by 35 pct.

Now, Denmark is moving to push 3D printing even further. The key to excel in the usage of 3D printing is the presence of a collaborative industry and highly educated staff, both readily available in Denmark. Here, AM has already undergone a huge development in recent years, and the first exclusive 3D printing education in Denmark is set to open at The International Business Academy (IBA) in Kolding on 29 August, 2022.

“Denmark can become a leader in 3D printing in terms of designing, developing and producing greener products.”

Frank Rosengreen Lorenzen

CEO at Danish AM Hub

Danish companies can design, develop and produce circular products of the future by using existing industry strengths, such as an innovative design ecosystem and the high industry involvement in public-private innovation. 

In 1600, William Shakespeare used Denmark as a stage for writing Hamlet, a story that is widely considered among the most powerful and influential works of world literature. Today, additive manufacturing tech providers and manufacturers are using Denmark as a stage for rewriting the future of manufacturing.

Danish AM Hub, a nationwide organisation promoting the use of additive manufacturing, aims to lead the use of AM technology in the Danish industry. Ultimately, this drive will increase sustainability by utilising Denmark's massive and reliant renewable energy system.

“Additive is a new production method with a huge potential to cut down on material, transport and waste,” says Danish AM Hub CEO Frank Rosengreen Lorenzen. “One of the pitfalls, however, is the large energy consumption per part, which is why we need to put the technology in play in countries such as Denmark with a large portion of renewable energy.”

Some of the world’s largest tech giants have already focused their resources and investments on Denmark to utilise the Danish renewable energy system and large manufacturers and technology providers are joining forces. Danish AM Hub has so far gathered 80 member organisations that holds AM expertise – from EOS and Stratasys to Lego and Grundfos – and they are joining forces in the AM Hub to unleash the sustainable potential of additive manufacturing on Danish soil, experimenting with initiatives that can move sustainable production forward.

The AM Hub is set to work with Danish experts and the many thousand agile and innovative Danish small and medium sized manufacturers to experiment with a number of initiatives that include among others:

• New design methods for additive, creating more energy efficient products
• Using waste streams as 3D printer filament in circular models
• Creating more digital, distributed, and on-demand value chains all with a focus to drive down CO2 emissions.

“One of the most important, significant and valuable tools to produce greener is to understand how to design new 3D printed products. With the right designs we save materials, we shorten the supply chains but also, we avoid waste. At the same time we can strengthen materials and a products efficiency, durability and circularity.”

Frank Rosengreen Lorenzen

CEO at Danish AM Hub

In addition to Danish AM Hub, the national cluster organisation Manufacturing Academy of Denmark (MADE) is promoting 3D printing through the initiative “MADE Material”. Through industry demonstration projects, manufacturers can test and demonstrate new materials and new ways to produce AM technologies.

A member of MADE, the Danish machine manufacturer Newtec has tested metal 3D printing. It turned out that metal 3D printing is both cheaper and further developed than they expected. Consequently, Newtec now has an idea where and when to introduce 3D printing and has significantly reduced the activation barrier. They are already looking for new ways to introduce 3D printing in their production processes and products.