De Valk Machinefabriek, now part of Anvil Industries, KMWE and K3 will continue to work together. So says Jan Adams, CEO of Anvil Industries. The MetalFab 1 on the Brainport Industries Campus, owned by Anvil, will continue to be managed by the three companies.
In the March edition of Solutions Magazine, Jan Adams and Jack Vromans (CTO of Anvil) discuss in an interview the reasons why the group of industrial manufacturing companies took over De Valk at the end of last year. “We think that additive manufacturing is necessary in the future to be complete,” says Jack Vromans. “We are seeing companies move from trying to real business with additive manufacturing.” He is not just referring to competitors; he also points to international OEMs
Take steps faster
The group wants to take big steps quickly. Because building up knowledge in the field of additive manufacturing takes time, the group seized the opportunity when De Valk Machinefabriek might be taken over. The precision engineering company that has been involved in 3D metal printing since the start of Addlab will become the AM competence center of the group. The strength of the group provides the necessary backbone if customers want to scale up in AM, Jan Adams clarifies.
Moving forward together to help OEMs grow
Collaboration around MetalFab1
So far, De Valk, who owns the MetalFab1 on Brainport Industries Campus, has used the AM system in collaboration with KMWE, K3D and NTS-Group. NTS itself bought a MetalFab G2 last year. And KMWE will start AM production this spring on a machine from SLM Solutions. What does this mean for cooperation at the BIC? Anvil / De Valk Machinefabriek, KMWE and K3D will continue with this. Formally owned by Anvil, the MetalFab1 will continue to be jointly managed by the three companies. “We feel comfortable with this collaboration. As a result, we can build up knowledge even faster and we can offer more metals,” explains the CEO. The fact that the companies from the Anvil group and KMWE sometimes compete with each other is unrelated to this. “Our shared goal in Southeast Brabant is to enable the growth of OEMs,” emphasizes Adams. If that goal is achieved, the work will grow for everyone. Also in additive manufacturing.
You can read the full interview with Jan Adams and Jack Vromans in Solutions Magazine soon. In this they elaborate on the drivers they see for producing with additive manufacturing. De Valk Machinefabriek will participate in AM for Production in March.
Photo: a manifold that De Valk Machinefabriek has been able to produce thanks to additive manufacturing.
