ERIKS: Clean, certified and controlled workflow with 3D manufacturing

Stepping into the ERIKS factory in Alkmaar, Netherlands feels like crossing into a world straight out of science fiction. Sleek motion-sensor doors open effortlessly, sliding downward to welcome you inside. Silent forklifts navigate corners with precision, carrying their heavy loads with ease. Workers in blue overalls move briskly across the floor, embodying efficiency.

Above, an intricate network of conveyor belts hums with activity, systematically sorting packages of various shapes and sizes. Meanwhile, sparks dance through the air as different components are expertly welded. Despite the hustle and bustle, the factory stands as a beacon of organized productivity. It’s alive with energy—a constant stream of industrial tasks churning in harmony—yet remarkably free from chaos or overpowering noise. The scene is a unique blend of vibrant activity and purposeful calm that feels almost futuristic.

ERIKS produces technical components and related services for all industries. And by adding additive manufacturing to its workflow, it is able to offer its customers a service that has the potential to revolutionize industries around the world. Additive manufacturing itself has allowed the factory to streamline its daily operations.

Cleanliness and safety

ERIKS operates in a culture of cleanliness. The words «Clean Manufacturing Facility» are written on one of the walls. The warehouse is well organized and bright, the floors spotless: the perfect place for a 3D printing center.

«We have been printing for a long time. Mainly prototypes, but also masks and luminaires, as well as final parts that until now were impossible to make,» said Job van de Sande, head of sealing and polymer technology at ERIKS Netherlands.

«I did it [de asemenea] to identify several dozen custom safety components that have truly enabled us to improve the safety of our manufacturing facilities.”

Security is essential for ERIKS. And a clean environment is a safe environment, an environment where work can be completed more efficiently. As such, the company considers safety factors as integral factors, if not inextricable from – objectives and deadlines, such as production targets and profit margins.

Therefore, a technology such as additive manufacturing is perfect for ERIKS, especially in its use to create tools that improve safety.

One of these tools, for example, is placed over a nearly human-sized winding roll, turning the task of removing and replacing the roll into a quick and safe job for an individual.around.

Another 3D printed device holds a piece of pipe in place, ensuring a robotic arm welds it precisely. There is also a device that works the same way, but designed to be used by human welders. The Ultimaker print heads also sit next to each other in a specially molded holder. Individually, these parts – and the changes they enable – might seem small; together, they produce great results, saving time, money and potentially lives.

«[Folosind imprimarea 3D]we have actually saved 350,000 euros in our production facilities by increasing the yield of our products and eliminating a number of safety risks,” said Job.

«Certified» co-engineered parts.
Cleaning and 3D printing together also represent an opportunity for ERIKS to provide a valuable service to its customers.

«We see great opportunities for our customers [cu tehnologia]» Job said. «However, the difficult part is that it is very difficult to identify these opportunities within your own company. What we do is, together with the client, we scan the site and start to identify and develop these opportunities together.»

After a site scan, the parts are designed by the customers themselves or by ERIKS engineers, then printed using Ultimaker S5 printers at the Alkmaar factory. These chambers act as environmentally controlled areas where the printing process can be carefully monitored, resulting in “certified” parts, ensuring not only quality and effectiveness, but also reproducibility and reliability.

“This means a customer can order [o piesă] today or a year from now and they will get the same part with the same mechanical properties,” Job said.

However, if customers want more control – and they should be part of the Ultimaker ecosystem – they can request a file rather than a physical part and print it themselves. This is one of the main reasons why ERIKS chose Ultimaker. Its combination of hardware, software and materials allows for easy use at any time: from company to company, from city to city, from country to country. It’s a win-win solution for everyone involved, saving both ERIKS and its customers time and money.

“When we work closely with our customers, it is very helpful to have the same platform,” Job said. “This way, it allows them to co-design with us.”

A future in food

By operating its clean production facility, ERIKS has already started to lay the foundations for the future. The facility complies with EC1935/2004 for its 3D printing activities and has dedicated clean production areas and a large-scale ISO Class 6 cleanroom. In addition to European food safety compliances, ERIKS is currently working to obtain FDA compliances that will allow it to create food-safe 3D printed parts that can be used worldwide. They will follow ISO pharmaceutical and medical standards.

Overall, the philosophy of ERIKS is very much aligned with that of 3D printing itself. His work is simplified, efficient and clean, with clear and defined processes. Perhaps most importantly, ERIKS and its customers always have full control.

“That’s why we see Ultimaker as the perfect starting point for us and our customers to see opportunities, develop them and take advantage of the benefits of 3D printing,” Job said.

Do you think your company could achieve similar results with 3D printing? Get in touch with us today.