The Swedish company Melker of Sweden manufactures kayaks and relies on 3D printing for product development. As CEO Pelle Stafshede explains, this allows complete kayak prototypes to be printed and tested on the water in a short space of time.
When expanding into the North American market, the need arose for a shorter and wider kayak model. Instead of making expensive metal molds for injection molded prototypes, Melker had the prototypes 3D printed in one piece. According to Stafshede, this saved considerable time and costs. Changes can be made without new molds and waste is avoided.
Melker of Sweden uses a supplier with robotic arm 3D printers for the large-format 3D prints. The materials used are bio-based plastics made from recycled fishing nets and wood fibers. The waste-free production fits in with Melker of Sweden’s sustainability philosophy.
The new Värmdö kayak model was developed for the North American market in just six months. According to Stafshede, the almost endless iterations made possible by 3D printing make for an optimal product. In the future, Melker of Sweden also hopes to realize series production partly through 3D printing with local manufacturing.
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