At Hannover Messe this year, a powerful conversation unfolded – one that didn’t just look into the future of manufacturing but demonstrated that the future is already here. In a panel moderated by Markus Obermeier (Senior Manager Additive Manufacturing, Siemens), leaders from across the large format additive manufacturing (LFAM) ecosystem came together to share how technology and partnerships are transforming the industrial landscape. Among them: Jay Rogers (CEO, Haddy), Stefanie Frank (Senior VP for Machine Tool Systems, Siemens Digital Industries) and Lucas Janssen (CEO, CEAD).

The furniture industry: ready for transformation

Traditional furniture manufacturing has been slow, wasteful and geographically distant from end users. Jay Rogers, CEO of Haddy, described it frankly: ‘it takes roughly a year to deliver furniture from Southeast Asia to countries around the world, and it’s difficult to predict quality and longevity’. Haddy, based in Saint Petersburg, Florida, set out to change that – using LFAM to digitize furniture design and production, enabling it to happen closer to the consumer. What was once a linear, global supply chain, is now becoming hyper-local and responsive, thanks to 3D printing.

Shaping the technology backbone of the Microfactory

At the heart of this shift is CEAD’s Flexbot platform, driven by Siemens’ SINUMERIK – modular, large-scale 3D printing systems capable of producing everything from bespoke architectural elements to entire boat hulls, using thermoplastic pellets. CEAD’s integrated platforms provide the building blocks of a new generation of Microfactories, capable of combining additive manufacturing with several hybrid manufacturing technologies to complete a part from start to finish.

CEAD’s Flexbot systems form the core of Haddy’s new facility in St. Petersburg, Florida – which, as of this week, is the largest installation of 3D printing robots for commercial use in the world. ‘We’re immensely proud to supply the building blocks of this Microfactory,’ said Lucas Janssen, CEAD’s CEO and co-founder, during this panel.

LFAM ecosystem: the power of partnerships

AI-generated content may be incorrect., PictureTransformation at this scale happens fastest in a collaborative ecosystem, where strengths come together to form a unified solution. CEAD’s systems integrate additive manufacturing, CNC machining, sanding and more – all orchestrated by Siemens’ SINUMERIK controller.

The result: an end-to-end, digitally controlled process capable of producing high mix, high volume outputs efficiently and sustainably. The technology of Siemens plays a pivotal role in the high-quality and precision of CEAD’s platform that is required for architectural applications. SINUMERIK, long established in CNC machining, has proved to be a powerful foundation for additive manufacturing as well.

‘SINUMERIK was designed as an open, universal technology platform for high precision part manufacturing’ emphasized Stefanie Frank from Siemens. ‘The unique thing is that you can use it for both subtractive and additive processes.’ Since their collaboration started over 8 years ago, CEAD’s Flexbots and Flexcubes run on Siemens SINUMERIK, which provides the real-time control, precision and flexibility needed to handle the complex, multi-process nature of CEAD’s systems, integrating them seamlessly to deliver an automated, end-to-end solution.

Why Microfactories matter

Microfactories aren’t just a technological trend – they represent a fundamental change in manufacturing philosophy: how, where and why we make things. Built to be compact, flexible, and easily scalable, these hyper-functional facilities bring production closer to the point of consumption.

In Haddy’s case, over 30 million people live within a six-hour drive of its new Microfactory in St. Petersburg, Florida. Eight modular CEAD’s Flexbots drive Haddy’s vision into tangible reality. Local production eliminates the emissions and delays of global transport, while LFAM technology significantly reduces material waste and opens the door to circular, closed-loop production.

Add that to the ability to manufacture high-mix, high-volume, low mix, low volume and everything in between, and Microfactories unlock unprecedented agility for manufacturers – with reduced costs, faster turnaround times and less environmental impact.

Innovators like Haddy are proving that with the right technology in place, manufacturing can be cleaner, smarter, and more local. A striking example was shared by Rogers during the panel, where a UK-based designer sent over files for a furniture set for Siemens. Within 24 hours, it was printed by Haddy, with brackets and structural elements directly integrated into the design. It was finished with a wood tabletop and a 3D-printed cushion from Carbon 3D.

AI and Additive: a natural pairing

Looking forward, all three panelists highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence. For CEAD, the next horizon is smarter systems, with their datalogging system a key player to collect all the processing data that will be required for AI-assisted process control, predictive maintenance and generative design tools. For Haddy, it’s about making furniture not just printable, but also intuitively designed using AI – shortening the journey from concept to customer.

‘We’re at a point,’ Rogers noted, ‘where designers can speak their ideas into a system and get a beautiful, functional piece of furniture in return. That’s the promise of AI, enabled by precision robotics and additive technology.’ Siemens is working on optimizing workflows and improving human-machine collaboration to accelerate development and innovation cycles through Industrial Copilots, generative AI-powered value chain optimization.

Transformation across industries

It is not just the furniture industry that is experiencing this transformative change. CEAD is empowering manufacturers across a range of industries, including maritime, additive construction, automotive, and more, by providing the building blocks for their Microfactories. Their commitment to continuously develop, together with their partners and based on real-world industry needs, is at the core at everything they do. By actively collaborating with technology leaders, material experts and end-users, CEAD ensures its solutions remain flexible, scalable and future-ready across applications.

One example of this commitment is CEAD’s recent focus on the maritime industry, where they have launched the Maritime Application Center (MAC). In close cooperation with key players in the maritime field, they are advancing the possibilities of printing entire boat hulls using LFAM, a clear reflection of how CEAD co-develops innovation with partners to solve industry-specific challenges.