Sep 15, 2016 | By Alec
When it comes to 3D printing, bigger is always better. And few companies offer bigger 3D printing opportunities than German large-volume 3D printing pioneers BigRep. Their BigRep ONE 3D printer even offers a mesmerizing 1m³ build volume. But that build volume isn’t the only thing that they are enlarging, as BigRep just acquired Berlin-based interdisciplinary design studio NOWlab. Through this take-over, BigRep will be able to offer a far wider range of material and design consultation services, while the BigRep Campus has been enlarged to 1500 square meters.
This is a huge step forward for BigRep, who has been growing explosively since being founded in 2014. Within just two years, this Berlin-based tech startup has grown to become a market and technology leader when it comes to large-scale serial 3D printing. The BigRep ONE is one of the largest FDM 3D printers available on the world market, and is enjoying popularity with both industrial and home users. The 3rd generation BigRep One can even hold up to 10kg of filament and prints up to four times faster than previous models. It is thus hardly surprising that BigRep is constantly associated with gargantuan 3D printing projects, such as this 2-meter-wide 3D printed Duster drone.
Such growth also brings lots of demands with it, and BigRep has already grown out into a 60-man enterprise on a 1500 square meter BigRep Campus. They are also offering a wide range of consultation services for materials and applications, and have noticed that – when it comes to large-scale 3D printing – materials and applications determine a 3D printer’s potential.
These services brought them into contact with Jörg Petri and Daniel Büning of Berlin design studio NOWlab. Experts in disruptive digital technologies, they have extensively worked with BigRep over the last few months and are now joining the startup as full-fledged partners. NOWlab itself has been acquired by BigRep, with Petri and Büning joining as directors of the innovation department. As NOWlab@BigRep, they will be responsible for innovation and material consultations, and for the application of research to cross-sector applications at BigRep.
Jörg Petri (l.) and Daniel Büning from NOWlab@BigRep.
As the innovators explained, this was a logical step forward for both companies. “With NOWlab@BigRep our internal innovation work takes an enormous step forward and will contribute to the many collaborative projects we are already engaged in with industrial partners, research institutions and universities,” Büning said of the acquisition. “In addition to conducting research into the current generation of devices, we endeavor to develop solutions that address business-related challenges and satisfy our core business. This includes, for example, the combination of additive manufacturing and robotics.”
Petri echoed these sentiments while emphasizing the disruptive potential of BigRep’s 3D printers. “With NOWlab@BigRep we can utilize our many years of experience in research, development and design in using new, generative manufacturing methods. The additive manufacturing is only at the beginning of its development - we're therefore delighted that this technology can now be actively pursued with our partners from industry and academia to jointly develop relevant application scenarios. We understand our business as "New Digital Craft,” Petri said.
But for BigRep, this acquisition also perfectly aligns with their changing focus, in which consultation and knowledge transfer is becoming increasingly important. And as NOWlab has been heavily involved with these services in the past, it looks like an excellent fit. “We have often worked successfully in the last 18 months with Jörg and Daniel. With the acquisition of the NOWlab, the BigRep Campus in Berlin is currently growing at over 1500 square meter with more than 60 employees,” BigRep CEO René Gurka explained. “With this step, we are investing heavily in the growing field of future consultation and closing a gap in the digital knowledge transfer within the field of 3D printing.”
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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