August 23, 2022
Felix Ewald
DyeMansion was an early Participating Member of AMGTA to support the advancement of sustainability in the Additive Manufacturing industry. How has your involvement as an AMGTA member benefited DyeMansion and how has the collective AMGTA movement benefited the broader AM industry?
Felix: I think AMGTA raises awareness for sustainability within and outside of our industry and provides inspiration on what and how to do it. The AM industry needs a platform that drives this topic. AMGTA took over this role and we are very happy to be part of it!
What do you see as the most pressing sustainability challenges facing the AM industry? How should these be addressed and how is DyeMansion doing so?
Felix: I think the huge sustainability challenges are not AM industry specific. I see the biggest challenge in decarbonizing all industries. And the challenge will be a very individual one for each industry, but especially for each company. Our very own industry-specific challenge lies in the materials that we use. Reusability and recyclability of consumables are keys. At DyeMansion we focus on two key areas: product-related activities and cross-company-related activities. On the product side we are heavily focusing on the reduction of consumables and waste. On the company side we have a wide area of activities. I will mention a few in the next answers.
You’ve adopted the mantra of Avoid-Reduce-Compensate. How does that ethos drive your internal operation and how does that ethos drive the development of your product and service offerings?
Felix: This mantra affects both our areas. On the company side I think there are the easier wins. To manage all our activities, we implemented a Sustainability Council that collects, implements, and tracks ideas as well as activities within our company. Key wins so far are the usage of green energy in all our offices and offsetting all travel-related emissions. On the company side, it’s comparably easy to find a lot of quick wins that can have an impact.
On the product side, you need more strategic decisions. One example is our strategy to source all our machines here in Bavaria, Germany, and all our suppliers have a high vertical range of manufacture. Another important focus for us is the commitment to reduce consumables and waste whenever we can.
DyeMansion had an exciting announcement of your Powerfuse technology. What challenges does this new technology solve and where do you see this leading the industry?
Felix: With our Powerfuse S, we introduced the first green and industrial technology for vapor polishing of 3D-printed plastics. By green we mean two things. First, we are not using harmful chemicals like PFAS, CRM or vPvM substances. The solvent is circulated continuously in a closed loop and automatically recovered by the system. With this, we fulfill a big part of the circular economy approach. More and more customers are appreciating that which also gives us a huge competitive edge. On the one hand, because less consumables mean less costs on the operating cost side and on the other hand it means lower emissions and less harmful chemicals. A little downside coming with this fact is that we need a more complex machine to do this which leads to higher acquisition costs. Important to understand is that if the Powerfuse S is being used for high-volume part production it delivers very attractive cost per parts compared to other systems in the market. This holds some interested leads back in the beginning. But we believe that we have the right approach and when I look at our growth rates for the Powerfuse S, the numbers are confirming that we have the right strategy.
Where do you see sustainability “quick wins” in the AM ecosystem? Have you seen your efforts for more sustainable practices drive change with your vendors or customers?
Felix: I think it’s difficult to have general quick wins for the whole industry. For me, quick wins are a tool for internal changes because they are very individual for every company. But I am sure that in every company, there are a lot of potential quick wins!
Our ambitions & activities already helped a lot in some discussions with our corporate key accounts. We see a clear trend that this is a decision driver for, especially bigger companies, when they choose their partners.
Anything specific we should be watching for from DyeMansion in the next year?
Felix: We will launch more products that fulfill the requirements of the circular economy. And on our new website that we will launch by the end of this year, we will also provide more in-depth insight on how we approach the whole topic of sustainability within DyeMansion.
Anything else you would like to share with the other AMGTA members?
Felix: Let’s take the chance together to position our industry at the forefront of sustainability without risking our sight by doing or publishing things that are not validated or too ambitious to fulfill.
The claims and views expressed in this Member Spotlight Interview are not necessarily those of the AMGTA, its staff, its Board of Directors, or member organizations. The AMGTA is not responsible for the content or accuracy of any information or claims provided as part of this Member Spotlight Interview and shall not be responsible for any decisions made based on such information.
