Award-winning: Freeformerreceives "Leonardo da Vinci" design award

  • AIPI, theItalianAssociationof Industrial Designers, awards international prize
  • Design oftheFreeformerforindustrial
    additive manufacturingimpresses
  • Award ceremonyatthe MECSPE trade fair
    in Parma, Italy

Lossburg. Arburgreceivedthe international "Leonardo da Vinci" Award on 17 March 2016 in Parma, Italyduringthe MECSPE trade fair. The ItalianAssociationof Industrial Designers AIPI (AssociazioneItalianaProgettistiIndustriali) awardedthisprizetoacknowledgethe design oftheFreeformer, an innovative systemfor additive manufacturing.

"I'mdelightedtoacceptthiscovetedaward on behalf ofArburgItaly. OurFreeformerisunique – both in termsof design andthenumerousoptionsthatitofferstoplasticsprocessingcompaniesforthe additive manufacturingoffully-functionalone-off partsandsmallbatches," said Managing Director Adriano Carminatiattheawardceremony, which was heldduringtheMECSPE trade fair in Parma, Italy.

International design award

EstablishedbyItaly's AIPI association in 1981, the international "Leonardo da Vinci" Award ispresentedeverytwoyearstoindividualsandcompanieswhohavemade a valuablecontributionto design andtechnicalinnovationfortheindustry. In additiontoArburg, thisyear'srecipientsincludedItalianengineer Aldo Costa, whohasdesignedanddeveloped 32 Formula 1 racingcars, theHelicopter Division ofFinmeccanica, andcyclingcompany Victoria.

Innovative Freeformerfor additive manufacturing

In order to also achieve a highlevelofproductionefficiencyduringtheproductionofsmallbatches down to a singleunit, Arburgcomplementedits Allrounder injectionmouldingmachineswiththeFreeformerfor additive manufacturing, whichitintroducedtotheItalianmarket in 2015. The Freeformeruses an additive manufacturingprocesstoproducefully-functionalplasticpartsfromqualifiedstandardgranulates on thebasisof 3D CAD data.

Convincingindustrial design

In 2014, theFreeformeralreadyreceivedtherenownedRedDot Award for “excellentproduct design”. Examplesofhowaestheticsandfunctionalityhavebeencombinedinclude an easilyaccessibleconstructionchamberwithpivotingglass front, simple operatingoptionsand a fold-out PC with multi-touchscreenmounted on theside. The clear, soft linesofthehousingarereminiscentof modern telecommunicationsdevicesandare well suitedforuse in a design studioorlaboratoryenvironment. The factthattheoverallconceptissuccessful in visualtermsisevidencedbythe positive feedbackfromexistingandprospectivecustomers.

Photo

ARBURG_xx Leonardo da Vinci Award 2016.jpg

The FreeformerfromArburg was therecipientofthe "Leonardo da Vinci" Award fromtheItalianAssociationof Industrial Designers (AIPI) in March 2016.

Photo: ARBURG

AboutArburg

German machinemanufacturerArburgisoneoftheworld’sleadingmanufacturersofinjectionmouldingmachineswithclampingforcesbetween 125 and 5,000 kN. Thisiscomplementedbyroboticsystems, customer- andsector-specificturnkeysolutionsandfurtherperipherals. An innovative additive manufacturingsystem was addedtotheplasticprocessingrange in 2013.

The companyplacesthetopicofproductionefficiencyatthecentreof all itsactivities, takingintoaccounttheentirevalue-addedchain. The objectiveistoenabletheArburgcustomerstomanufacturetheirplasticproducts, whetherone-off partsorhigh-volumeproduction, in optimal qualityandatminimumunitcosts – e.g. fortheautomotiveandpackagingindustries, communicationandentertainmentelectronics, medicaltechnology, orthewhitegoodssector.

An international salesandservicenetworkguarantees first-class, localcustomersupport. Arburgisrepresentedbyitsownorganisationsat 32 locations in 24 countries andbytradingpartners in morethan 50 countries. The machinesareproducedexclusivelyattheparentfactory in Lossburg, Germany. From a total ofaround 2,550 employees, around 2,100 work in Germany. About 450 furtheremployeeswork in Arburg’sorganisationsaroundtheworld. In 2012, Arburgbecameoneofthefirstcompaniestogaintriplecertification: to ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environment) and ISO 50001 (Energy).

Further informationaboutArburgcanbefoundat