Heidelberg and Ritzi Lackiertechnik Showcase 3D Printing Opportunities

For around a year now, automotive supplier Ritzi Lackiertechnik GmbH, based in Germany, has successfully been using an Omnifire 1000 from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) to print series parts such as trims, switches, dashboards, and other components for customers from the automotive industry. Ritzi was a pilot user for the Omnifire 1000 and has integrated the system into its industrial production process. It has thus been able to significantly increase its productivity and quality compared to the previously used method.

“Our experiences with the Omnifire 1000 after almost a year have been extremely positive,” says Managing Director Günter Ritzi. “The needs of our premium automotive customers regarding the customized decoration of interior accessories are understandably exceptionally challenging. With Omnifire technology and support from Heidelberg, we’ve implemented an industrial solution that makes us better, faster, and more cost-effective.”

Based on these experiences, Heidelberg and Ritzi hosted a joint international customer event at Ritzi’s headquarters in Tuningen to show specialists from the automotive industry and associated sectors the outstanding opportunities that Omnifire technology offers for the direct printing of objects. Around 40 participants took up the companies’ invitation and saw for themselves in expert presentations and live demonstrations how objects with various different substrates, surface properties, and shapes can be custom finished quickly and cost-efficiently to meet automotive manufacturers’ strict requirements.

The general trend toward customization is a hallmark of the digital age. The option of custom enhancing high-quality mass-produced items and thus reaching consumers or customers on a personal level opens up attractive new and profitable business models for manufacturers of branded goods and industrial production companies. This is made possible by Omnifire technology from Heidelberg and the Omnifire 250 and 1000 models, which can be used to print customized three-dimensional objects of any shape made from a wide variety of materials. Both models can be integrated into industrial production processes and online marketing campaigns.

“Our activities in direct-to-shape printing and the continuous development of Omnifire technology from Heidelberg underline just how serious we are about unlocking business potential beyond our traditional markets,” says Montserrat Peidro-Insa, Head of the Digital business unit at Heidelberg.