Local print farms instead of Far East manufacturing: Batch.Works and E3D team up

Batch.Works and the Oxford-based component manufacturer E3D Online are expanding their collaboration in the field of additive manufacturing. The two companies have entered into a strategic agreement to build connected 3D print farms for series production in the UK and other markets. The aim is to produce parts and consumer goods on demand where they are needed, while reducing material usage and transport emissions.

The core of the model is the combination of Batch.Works’ software and material platform with E3D’s hardware and operational experience. E3D is to build and operate dedicated farms in the UK with FFF printers that manufacture both Batch.Works’ own components and selected customer products. For this, Batch.Works supplies circular polymer materials, specifications for process quality and a platform for controlling print jobs across multiple sites.

“3D printing has always promised local, on-demand manufacturing – this partnership is about making that promise real at scale,” said Julien Vaissieres, CEO of Batch.Works. “By pairing our circular manufacturing platform with E3D’s world-class hardware and operations, we can offer customers an easy way to move away from overproduction and long, fragile supply chains.”

Customers such as Disney, Paul Smith and Marks & Spencer are already using the network for product ranges and pilot projects. Recent applications include Kibu children’s headphones, developed together with Morrama and Kibu and recognised in design awards for their sustainable construction.

The partnership builds on a project funded by Innovate UK, in which both companies tested modular printing systems and operating models for distributed manufacturing.

“E3D has spent years pushing the boundaries of extrusion and printer technology,” said Joshua A. Rowley, CEO of E3D-Online. “Working with Batch.Works allows us to apply that expertise to a new generation of circular print farms – enabling customers to manufacture closer to home, with better performance and a much smaller environmental footprint.”

In the next step, the infrastructure is to be scaled primarily in the areas of consumer goods, retail, interior design and education. For manufacturers, the model offers the opportunity to launch new products without tooling costs, gradually convert existing ranges to local production and map development cycles from prototype to small series in a continuous environment.