REINTJES develops 3D printers in XXL format with partners

The German economy is facing major challenges. There is an urgent need for skilled labour and prices for energy and materials are rising. Creative solutions are needed to meet these difficulties head on.

The Hameln-based company REINTJES has been researching such a solution together with four partners over the past few years. The result is a 3D printer in XXL format as part of a project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.

Numerous interested parties – including Lower Saxony’s Economics Minister Olaf Lies – found out exactly what it can do at an information conference on the REINTJES site. Including an exciting live demonstration.

A real project of encouragement

But before that happened, REINTJES Managing Director Klaus Deleroi, Project Manager Daniela Haubold and Prof. Dr Stefan Kaierle (Laser Centre Hanover) reported on the 3D printer developed in general and 3D printing for marine gearbox housings in particular.

And, of course, Olaf Lies did not miss the opportunity to say a few words. „We need these days of encouragement, where we can see that companies are stepping up and taking the path forward. The maritime economy is one of our future fields. We are the gateway to the world and Lower Saxony plays an outstanding role here with its harbours and shipyards,“ said Olaf Lies.

And the Minister emphasised that ‘this is a project that shows that processes are conceivable and can be implemented’. To a certain extent, Olaf Lies also paved the way for the 3D printer, which will now be permanently installed as a research object in Hall 2 on the REINTJES company premises.

Klaus Deleroi made this clear. „In 2015, I presented a small 3D printer at an event with Olaf Lies and talked about it. Our Lower Saxony Minister of Economic Affairs then told me that I had to think bigger. That’s what I did – and I’m proud of what has become of this impulse,“ summarised the REINTJES boss.

Insights into practice

Daniela Haubold, who has managed the project since mid-2022, delved deeper into the subject matter. „3D printing offers huge advantages. The added value remains in-house and we are not reliant on external suppliers. Overall, the need for materials and energy is also reduced – and that naturally leads to significantly lower costs,“ she noted. And Haubold added: ‘In this way, we are consciously doing something for more climate protection and sustainability.’ An example of a gearbox housing part produced at the beginning of this year resulted in energy savings of 41 per cent. The overall weight was also reduced by around 36 per cent.

Klaus Deleroi and Daniela Haubold agreed that it was worth taking a closer look at additive manufacturing, especially for customised products. In the specific case of REINTJES, this applies to customised housings for marine gearboxes, for example, but not to series production.

Now that the project has come to an end, the question arises: what will happen next with 3D printing and REINTJES? The printer may only be used for research purposes – and not commercially. „There is still a need for further development. We are currently working on realising a follow-up project,“ says Daniela Haubold.

Info box: Project details

The official name of the research project is: Energy- and resource-efficient production of large-scale products using additive manufacturing using the example of marine gearbox housings. The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and involved REINTJES, Tewiss, Eilhauer Maschinenbau, the Institute for Integrated Production Hannover (IPH) and the Laser Centre Hannover (LZH). The project ran from 1 January 2019 to 31 March 2023 and Daniela Haubold has been the project manager since mid-2022. The total funding volume (complete project budget) amounted to 3.36 million euros, with REINTJES contributing around 450,000 euros.