Intriguing new freedom in forming

Ulrich Leidecker, president and member of the board for the business area Industrial Management and Automation (IMA) at Phoenix Contact, spoke with us about his experience and expectations relating to additive manufacturing and the business model of PROTIQ.

Mr. Leidecker, what do you think of additive manufacturing – hype or revolution?

If you ask me, it’s definitely a revolution! Today, processes such as selective laser melting for metals are opening up new worlds of possibility that were utterly unthinkable a short time ago. Industrial 3D printing offers a necessary tool to materialize our ideas at a very early stage, thus making them easier for others to understand.

For which industries and areas of application do you currently see the greatest potential?

There is generally a need for 3D printing in all industrial areas. I see additive manufacturing being extremely profitable for tool design and small batch production, particularly with regard to drastically shorter product development periods. If we use additive manufacturing processes as early as in the design phase, this automatically shortens the time to market.

Phoenix Contact has been continually developing its expertise in the area of additive manufacturing since 2010 and, with the establishment of PROTIQ, has founded its own affiliate company for 3D printing. What is your opinion of this step?

I am a big fan of PROTIQ! With this dynamic start-up, Dr. Ralf Gärtner and his team have succeeded in blazing new trails in 3D printing and thus making sure that Phoenix Contact has its foot in the door in this budding field. PROTIQ started very early and differentiated itself with its close affinity for technology. One important aspect leading to success, however, involved making the procedure as easily accessible as possible, of course. I can also say that the online service provided by PROTIQ is extremely well-designed.

Is this judgment based on personal experience?

That’s right. If I learn of something new, I always want to try it out myself directly. It was the same with PROTIQ. And that’s how it came to be that, after a discussion with Dr. Gärtner, I became one of the first users to go through the order process. My assessment: absolutely intuitive! In order to get to the point, only the most important information was requested. I was especially positively surprised after I uploaded my 3D file: My model was displayed for me directly in the viewer, together with warnings and the corresponding suggestions for improvement. The walls were too thin at first, for example, but this was easy to resolve by choosing the right material. A few days later, I was able to hold my very own personal 3D object in my hands.

Would you care to tell us what you ordered from PROTIQ?

I’ll tell you this much: It was a gift for my wife and when I placed my order, I included a special challenge that PROTIQ mastered effortlessly.

Thank you for the interview, Mr. Leidecker.

And what do you think of the possibilities of additive manufacturing?

We look forward to discussing them with you.