Co-creation accelerates innovation industrial 3D printing

Mature market

CEAD’s 3D printers work with a wide range of thermoplastic composite materials in granular form. This fiber-reinforced plastic can be recycled. CEAD works closely with material producers, but also developed its own specific material for printing boats. Thanks to this material knowledge, the company is much more than just a machine builder.

Since its founding, CEAD has developed and optimized in detail four print heads for composite, with everything around them for safe 3D printing. “The market for 3D printing has grown and matured in recent years,” says Martijn Hulst, innovation engineer at CEAD. “Initially we mainly supplied 3D printers for the research world, but nowadays we also have many production customers. Among them are interior designers, architects, foundries and mold builders. The maritime sector is also becoming increasingly important to us.”

Printing at any angle

The Flexbot has a Siemens SINUMERIK controller, which Hulst says is a deliberate choice. “If you want to make an industrial printer, you also need an industrial controller. With a standard controller, you can only use a robot for repetitive work. We want it to perform a different movement every time. The absolute positional accuracy of SINUMERIK is greater than that of a robot controller.

That is exactly what our customers are asking for.” Frank de Korte, product manager at Siemens: “We originally developed this controller for CNC machines and in recent years expanded it with technology to control 3D printers. You can print at any angle with this.”

Accessible gantry model

With the Flexcube, a gantry-based 3D printer is now available. “For companies not versed in additive manufacturing, a robot can be complicated,” Hulst said. “Interior and decoration manufacturers, among others, also don’t always need the full freedom of form of a robot. They benefit from the simplicity of this new model, where the extruder is attached to a gantry.

The Flexcube is fully grafted for high production, but simpler and more user-friendly than the Flexbot. It is also grafted more toward serial production rather than single pieces, giving customers a true production machine. Since it fits in a container, we can easily transport it. You can also print larger parts very accurately with the Flexcube. It can optionally be expanded with a module for finishing (milling) the printed components and is controlled with Sinumerik One.”

Completely relieved

CEAD has the Flexcube’s control cabinets designed and built by Siemens. “We used to do that ourselves, but it cost us a lot of effort. Siemens can do this much better than us and also helps us with the certifications: UL for the U.S. market and CE for the European market. We like being completely relieved in this area. In April 2024, we only had a rough concept of what the machine should be able to do.

That was enough for Siemens to know exactly what they needed to do. Barely four months later, the demo cabinet was at our doorstep! They expertly translated our wishes into a control cabinet, helped choose components and provided tips on how to save space and reduce costs. After the demo cabinet was delivered, there were some changes to the design. They were flexible with that. At the end of 2024, we ordered the first two cabinets for customers.”

Accelerating innovation

CEAD has been supported in word and deed by Siemens since its founding. In this way, a partnership was created. “We love being taken into the innovative world of 3D printing,” says Frank de Korte, product manager at Siemens Netherlands. “The interaction is good, in case of questions we are mutually available for each other. Through co-creation, we take work out of the hands of the CEAD team that is not part of their specialty and together we accelerate innovation.”

Future applications

The Flexcube and Flexbot are assembled entirely at CEAD in Delft, where the 3D printing technology is also developed in-house. “We provide the total picture from consultancy to commissioning, service and maintenance,” says Hulst. “We also think along with customers about future applications.” To create room for growth, CEAD has been renting a second building in Delft with a large work hall since 2024. The building will be officially opened as the Maritime Application Center during 2025. Currently, CEAD is developing a special boat printer to make hulls. “We are far from out-of-innovation!”