FIT AG to Invest 20 Million Euro in Additive Manufacturing Facility

Leveraging twenty years’ expertise in Additive Design and Manufacturing, the Lupburg/Bavaria based FIT Group experiences robust growth, having gained a position as a reliable contract manufacturer and outsourcing partner. Worldwide demand for innovative additive parts for prototyping and volume manufacturing is increasing rapidly, especially in high tech industries such as motorsports, aviation and aerospace, and medical technology. Therefore, FIT has started construction of a new purpose built facility for high volume additive manufacturing to promote Additive Design and Manufacturing (ADM) for industrial use, as well as a new office building.

An investment of 20 million Euro
In the beginning of 2016, FIT’s new plant will go live and thus become the first facility entirely designed for high volume additive manufacturing. In addition, the Group increases its headquarters by adding a new office building.

FAB@FIT–an entirely new manufacturing strategy
The company’s manufacturing concept, named FAB@FIT, allows to deploy its know-how in high volume additive manufacturing at its clients. „We are about to enter a new era of industrial production, and with our new factory we intend to make a major contribution to this trend. The successful development of the new standard format 3MF for industrial print data by Microsoft and FIT has proved to be a good start“, explains Alexander Oster, CTO of the FIT Group.

Focussed growth strategy
By concentrating to additive technologies, FIT Group has developed a unique portfolio of production techniques which has established itself in the marketplace. Due to the increasing demand for additively manufactured parts such as medical implants and devices as well as components for motorsports, aviation and aerospace, FIT has doubled production capacities during the last 12 months. “Having bought nine laser melting systems during the last year, we are now going to order three additional big multilaser melting machines as well as two further electron beam melting machines. The more important milestone is, however, to combine these technologies in an integrated purpose built additive factory with reliable processes, minimizing the technology risks. This is what qualifies us as the industrial partner to implement new manufacturing concepts with customers worldwide“, says Carl Fruth, CEO of the FIT Group.

Additive manufacturing in industrial production
Industrial production is about to face a significant technology change. A fast growing number of companies are exploring the potential impact of additive manufacturing on their business. Additively manufactured products can be designed with unimaginable complexity which can be used, for example, for the design of extremely rigid and lightweight structures at the same time. Additive manufacturing is tool-free and allows rapid design changes shortening time to market. It is also ideal for easy mass customization, another big trend in manufacturing.

From Lupburg to the world
“Our new factory is a model plant and has a modular structure. This will serve as a master concept for commissioning industrial additive manufacturing close to our customers. By copying the entire production process of an efficiently operating Additive Design and Manufacturing (ADM) plant, manufacturing costs will be reduced and quality of the parts improved. Thus, the local concept FAB@FIT will turn into a successful international FAB@X“, Carl Fruth points out.