IMES3D: Expert Support for Industry-Level 3D Printing

How a technical service bureau makes FFF the leading 3DP technology for product development and series production

Every day, more companies discover the transformative benefits of 3D printing. Although the technology has become significantly more accessible over the years, some businesses may still encounter initial challenges in adopting 3D printing. This is where the experts at IMES3D come in, offering professional support and comprehensive services to ensure a smooth transition and successful implementation.

Located just 30 minutes from Barcelona’s city center, IMES3D boasts an impressive office equipped with over 60 UltiMaker 3D printers. With over 10 years of experience, their team of experts support professional clients in need of 3D-printed parts. Their clientele spans a wide range of industries, including automotive, food and beverage, military, and medical sectors. This diversity underscores the importance for IMES3D to offer 3D-printed parts in a variety of materials with different properties.

Challenges customers face

IMES3D supports both customers who are new to 3D printing and those who already own 3D printers. Newcomers can receive advice and support in selecting the right printers and setting them up in a suitable environment. Both new and existing users benefit from IMES3D’s team of skilled engineers and designers. They use their expertise to help identify practical applications and create 3D models suitable for printing. With many years of experience and in-house support for both design and 3D printing technology, IMES3D is truly an expertise center for professionals requiring custom part production.

The printfleet of IMES3D

When customers are unable to produce parts themselves, IMES3D can scale up capacity using their UltiMaker printers. This enables them to assist customers with tight deadlines and large volume orders. Many of the printers at IMES3D are UltiMaker S5 models, which offer a large build volume and can use different nozzles to print in a wide range of materials.

Besides common materials such as PLA, ABS, Nylon and TPU, these printers are also able to print more advanced materials. For added strength IMES3D can print parts made from carbon-fiber reinforced nylon which is great for mechanical spare parts. Customers in the food and beverage industry can benefit from FDA-approved materials. For example, parts that carry food products from one machine to another. They can even print flame-retardant or ESD-safe materials. Whenever IMES3D has a request for a very specific use case, they can simply look in the UltiMaker material marketplace, find the right material and add the print profile to UltiMaker Cura.

Smaller parts that do not require advanced materials are printed on older UltiMaker models, such as the UltiMaker 3 and UltiMaker 2. Although these models are discontinued, their continuous 24/7 usage is a testament to UltiMaker’s reliability and future-proof design.

Adding new possibilities with the Factor 4

The latest addition to IMES3D's impressive print fleet is the all-new UltiMaker Factor 4. The machine’s direct drive enables printing with much softer and more flexible materials, opening up new possibilities for applications requiring protection, impact absorption, or enhanced grip. This advancement has allowed IMES3D to expand into a broader range of industrial applications. For example, IMES3D has printed custom bumpers for mobile devices, protecting them from damage after an accidental drop. These materials are also used as an interaction surface for tools to prevent products from being damaged during work or quality control.

The actively controlled build chamber and new High Temperature (HT) printcore give IMES3D the option to print with various new materials, such as PPS CF. This carbon fiber-reinforced material can withstand even higher temperatures and more tensile stress than materials like carbon fiber-reinforced nylon. These characteristics make it ideal for mechanical parts that endure larger forces or impacts, such as spare parts for manufacturing machines. Parts printed in these materials are often strong enough to replace metal parts, while also being lighter, faster to produce and more cost effective. This makes these materials not only ideal for on-demand spare parts, but also for end-use parts. Especially when the parts are needed in small quantities or with customizations.

Additionally, IMES3D utilizes the Factor 4’s Print Process Reporting. This insightful analysis ensures print quality by highlighting any discrepancies in the print data. After every print job, the operator receives an in-depth report on extrusion parameters deviations from nominal values, their locations, and their severity in the 3D model. Using a suite of sensors in the print head, build chamber, and material loading system, this print process reporting helps to verify and validate part quality before use in the field.

Managing a large print fleet through Digital Factory

To ensure optimal printer management, IMES3D uses Digital Factory. This platform ensures the entire print fleet is utilized as efficiently as possible. When a 3D print job is sent to the group of printers, Digital Factory selects the right printer for the task. If all printers with the appropriate materials are in use, print jobs can be queued and scheduled. During printing, IMES3D monitors the job over the network to track its progress. Digital Factory also aids in logging and planning regular maintenance, allowing IMES3D to align maintenance schedules with the printers’ workload. Maintenance is now performed regularly during periods when the printers are not required for production.

IMES3D also assists their customers in setting up Digital Factory. This enables their clients to manage print fleets, often spread across multiple locations. Not only can their central 3D printing team manage their printers, but IMES3D can also provide support remotely from their own offices. Customers can create an internal catalog of 3D models and prints, enabling anyone in their company to simply select the part they need and start the print.

IMES3D has proven to be a professional and reliable expertise center for 3D printing, and with the support of UltiMaker's local partner in Spain, Sicnova, IMES3D has developed into the service bureau with the largest number of UltiMaker printers in the world. With over 60 UltiMaker printers creating large quantities of parts for so many different industries with different requirements, they really showcase the agility for 3D printing. The UltiMaker Factor 4 is a big step up, extending their possibilities. This enables them to keep innovating and explore even more solutions for their customers.