In March 2021, Arbourg officially inaugurated its new Arburg Prototyping Center (APC) in Shanghai as part of a medical seminar. This facility means that a dedicated APC is now available in each of the key regions of the company’s market: Germany, the Americas and Asia. In total, four Freeformers are producing benchmark coins using additive methods at the new Shanghai location. This gives existing and potential Chinese customers operating in additive manufacturing the chance to see the quality and performance of the components that Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) offers before making the decision to purchase a Freeformer.

“In Asia, we are seeing growing demand for our Freeformer machines in applications involving the additive manufacturing of functional components made from original materials,” says Gerhard Böhm, general manager of sales and service at Arburg. “Arburg’s new prototyping center in Shanghai allows us to strategically expand our AM expertise and specifically address the local needs of the Chinese market. Our Arburg China team now has a faster, more focused and very convenient way to help potential Freeformer customers meet their requirements ”.

The Arburg prototyping center in China opened in March 2021, operating two Freeformers 200-3X and 300-3X. The company also operates two other APCs: one at its headquarters in Lossburg, Germany, and the other in Rocky Hill, United States. All three sites use a wide range of original materials to produce reference parts using additive manufacturing techniques, working around the clock as needed to meet demand. This allows for preliminary testing so that potential customers can determine if Arburg Plastic Freeforming is actually suitable for the desired part, material and application before committing to a purchase. The four machines in Shanghai are mainly used for processing and evaluating materials from Chinese suppliers. Demand from the medical technology and packaging industries is particularly high. To help them become familiar with the technology, customers and prospects also have the opportunity to participate in Freeformer training courses and work with the machine themselves at the site.

The new Arburg prototyping center will initially serve Chinese customers, but plans are in place to add more machines and staff so that availability can gradually be extended to all of Asia. The service team at the Shanghai site is also undergoing training in order to continue to enrich its expertise in additive manufacturing.