Additive manufacturing as a service – Würth Digital Inventory Services

Development of an innovative 3D printing platform for industrial companies

Vorteile auf einen Blick

Echter Treiber statt Kostenfaktor:Open API - All 3D printer manufacturers can connect to the solution

Unabhängig statt Lock-in:Sophisticated security concept controls print volumes and OE licenses

Nutzerzentrierung im Fokus:High tech user-friendliness makes 3D printing possible for everyone

generic.de is the perfect partner for this project. Their technical expertise and ability to develop innovative software solutions helped us to realize our vision of the Digital Inventory Services. The collaboration was characterized by openness and transparency, which contributed significantly to the success.
Geschäftsführung, Auftraggeber

The project

Project duration
Spring 2020 to fall 2021 (release)

Performances

  • Requirements engineering
  • User research
  • UX design
  • UI design
  • Software architecture
  • Software development
  • Project management
  • Product management consulting

Technologies

  • ASP .NET Core
  • EntityFramework Core
  • Blazor
  • Syncfusion
  • gRPC
  • Postgres mit TimescaleDb

Würth Additive Group

The Würth Additive Group is part of the Würth Group and offers a comprehensive range of 3D printing solutions for industrial manufacturing customers worldwide. In addition to selling 3D printers, filaments, printing materials and specialized safety equipment for additive manufacturing, the Würth Additive Group also provides support in the design and development of required parts.

Challenges

The biggest challenge in additive manufacturing is the risk of uncontrolled duplication. Once a customer receives a print file, they can theoretically reproduce the part infinitely – resulting in lost licensing revenue for IP owners. The question is: How do we ensure controlled print quantities and protect IP rights?

Today, even when using approved print files and standardized materials, 3D printing results can vary significantly. Unlike traditional manufacturing, additive processes lack formalized quality assurance to ensure repeatability and compliance with OE (Original Equipment) standards. Establishing such a process is critical for widespread adoption.

Solution

During the 3-month product discovery phase, we focused the vision into a structured, actionable plan by defining business cases, conducting extensive user research, designing first click dummies, and creating an initial system architecture that addressed key challenges. We also supported the Additive Group in presenting the well-thought-out concept in a clear way, not only to get the Würth Group's go-ahead, but also to get the first pilot customers on board.

  • Nutzerzentrierte UX/UI für unterschiedliche Rollen (Bediener, Instandhalter, Qualitätssicherung, Messtechniker, Anlagenbediener) mit anpassbaren Oberflächen und Multi-Screen-Funktionalität
  • Live-Anzeige der Messdaten sowie Live-Tracking von Mess- und Steuerungshardware
  • Intelligente Benutzerführung mit Messaging-Center, einfaches Erstellen von Messplänen und Programmieren individueller Messabläufe
  • Zugriff von überall, auch vom Remote-Arbeitsplatz
  • Lesbarer und wartbaren Quell­code

    Results

    By using IoT technology, modern security mechanisms, a scalable cloud architecture and intuitive usability, we were able to support the Würth Additive Group in transforming its product vision of Digital Inventory Services into a value-adding solution.

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