How did GROHE figure out how to implement the process of 3D printing metal We did our due diligence and decided to buy two TRUMPF 3D printers which were subsequently opti mized for our requirements And together with TRUMPF we will continue to develop new solutions to further push the boundaries of what 3D metal printing can mean for the future of water We really believe in this new technol ogy And if we believe in it we need to manage it and build up expertise at GROHE It s our duty to embrace this exciting progress 3D printing is a big trend in manufacturing technology Another important trend is personal ization How does the Icon 3D play into this At GROHE we always try to look at the bigger trends not just in our industry but beyond and individualization is one of them Nowadays consumers have become creators They pay much more attention to detail and want to create a bathroom that suits their personal tastes and expresses their personality In addition as the boundaries between the individual living areas are becoming increasingly blurred the bathroom opens up and becomes a living space turning bathroom products into furnishing items Here 3D printing establishes exciting opportunities for us In the future we will be able to produce even small volumes efficiently with products totally customized to the consumer s wishes that would not be sensible with traditional manufacturing It gives us more flexibility for late stage customization or even individualized designs As a first step we decided to reinterpret our existing Atrio and Allure Brilliant line to show how we take product design and the joy of water to a whole new level What other possibilities does 3D metal printing open up for GROHE One of our brand pillars is sustainability If you compare the Atrio Icon 3D and the Allure Brilliant Icon 3D to other faucets it is obvious that we needed less material to produce them and the process only requires as much material as is actually needed It s only about 50 of what we use for a conventionally produced model 3D metal printing offers a lot of potential to further push our commitment to sustainability Besides 3D metal printing simplifies the production of prototypes and also parts of the tool construction process How does the Icon 3D also impact the production of other product lines We are continuing to explore how we can use 3D metal printing technology to improve our current manufacturing processes For instance we use a lot of plastic injection process for the production of our shower systems The productivity of a plastic injection tool depends on how well the cooling works that s what decides the cycle time of the machine With 3D metal printing we are able to get cooling channels closer than we are with a traditional tool This means a 10 reduction in cycle time As a result 3D metal printing can increase pro ductivity while also helping to make production more sustainable because the shortened production process requires less energy With 3D metal printing we are ringing in a new era in made in Germany production Thomas Fuhr GROHE CEO BEYOND WATER BATHROOM KITCHEN AND WATER STORIES 14 15 Master en 193x257 GROHE BW Magazine 1 2019 Content 150dpi 14 11 11 19 17 14

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