Heineken, one of the largest global producers of beer, has implemented 3D printing at their brewery in Seville, Spain, to increase production efficiency. After a test period of more than one year, the beer brewer choose for the Ultimaker S5 printers that produce improved safety latches and special parts. Heineken considers the pilot project a success. The results of increased employee safety, lead time, and cost reduction of all printed parts have added to that.
Increased employee safety
The improved safety latches, which are applied to almost all the machines in the brewery, are used during machine maintenance. When the machines are stopped, these latches will be locked, preventing anyone from accidentally starting a machine while someone is doing maintenance. The latches are printed in bright red by the 3D printers of Ultimaker – an NPM portfolio company – to ensure their visibility. This application was not only useful, but the extra safety feature created awareness and appreciation of 3D printing among employees.
Process optimisation
Outsourcing discontinued parts or importing them is expensive and time-consuming. The Heineken team immediately saw that 3D printing not only saved time and money but was also able to print plastic parts which could function as structural replacements for metal parts. On average, Heineken sees the delivery of these parts is on average 80% faster than external sourcing. The costs of a printed part versus a historically sourced part are also on average 80% lower.
Another application concerns a metal part used with a quality sensor on a conveyor belt. Redesigned 3D printed parts prevent ejecting bottles that create a blockage, which saves bottles, money, and time. The company is setting the next steps to identify the potential of scaling the benefits of 3D printing.
Also read ‘Ultimaker portfolio selected by Airbus for 3D printing in Europe’
