Ziggzagg, a leading 3D printing service bureau located in Belgium has chosen 3YOURMIND to develop a fully automated workflow tailored to its specific needs. The company invested in 10 HP machines and produces orders that encompass as many as 200,000 parts. Thanks to 3YOURMIND, they have managed to fully automate their processes, reducing error and allowing for more time with their customers.
3D printing service bureaus play a pivotal role in the development of the additive manufacturing industry as they are the key to the ultimate adoption of the technology. However, as they grow larger, they can face challenges especially in terms of order maintenance and part tracking. The solution to this is a fully automated workflow solution that puts all critical information in one easy-to-access place, a process with which Ziggzagg entrusted 3YOURMIND. By implementing Agile ERP and MES, as well as integrating two of Ziggzagg’s previously used software, 3YOURMIND developed a fully customized solution for the company.
Thanks to huge investments, in only two years Ziggzagg has managed to position itself as not only one of the top 3D printing service providers in Belgium but also on the international stage. It was a pioneer in adopting HP’s technology for part production including tools as well as a large series of final parts for industrial applications. Today, Ziggzagg has the 2nd biggest HP farm in Europe and is also part of the 7 global partners of the manufacturer.
Ziggzagg’s Production Challenges
Ziggzagg seeks to create the factory of the future to answer their customers’ needs. This goal means overcoming certain challenges which can be done by:
- Automating mass additive manufacturing in order to manage their fleet of HP 3D printers as well as to implement a 100% automatic end-to-end digital solution.
- Achieving faster production by tracing parts through the whole production chain
- Moving to focus more on mass production and mass customization
The solution was to digitize and automate workflows using 3YOURMIND’s Agile ERP and Agile MES. What 3YOURMIND turned into a custom solution to fully meet the specific needs of Ziggzagg.
3YOURMIND’s Tailor-Made Solution
Agile ERP and MES were integrated with AM-Flow (part recognition and sorting solution) and Shippo (delivery) via Zapier, which ensured that all data was centralized in one platform.
- Ziggzagg’s sales and operators had more time to develop the machine portfolio without increasing their workforce and were able to spend less time and manual work on administrative tasks.
- It implemented digital communication streams while ensuring instant, accurate pricing, and automated order management.
- It also integrated production scheduling and tracking for a more efficient workflow.
What were the benefits?
- Fully automating the workflow from order taking to production and delivery has dramatically reduced costly errors by up to 30%. It has enabled Ziggzagg to give its customers confidence in the quality and repeatability of their 3D printed parts. This has resulted in better part traceability and a more finished and reliable workflow than before.
- The solution also had other benefits for Ziggzagg, especially for their customers. The service bureau improved customer communication with the online platform and “chat” feature while a more efficient and structured quoting workflow helped simplify prices for both sides.
- Ziggzagg was able to take advantage of the time-saving benefits of the “saved address” feature and the automatic label creation thanks to Zapier and Shippo.
- With the connection to AM-Flow’s automated part recognition and sorting solution AM-Vision, shop floor workers from ZiggZagg can identify and sort parts automatically into their respective orders or upcoming workflow steps.
Skyrocket your business with Agile ERP and MES
In addition, 3D printing service bureaus that use 3YOURMIND's Agile ERP and MES can enjoy even more benefits, including:
- A 75% reduction of manual work time
- Full process automation with up to 100% data transparency
- Double the number of customers and orders without the need for more staff thanks to online business and instant quotes
- Up to 100% customer satisfaction and trust, converting them into ambassadors for the service provider
- Higher machine utilization by 150% with 3YOURMIND's intelligent scheduling tools, saving hundreds of thousands of Euros per year.
- A fully automated production workflow, leading to increased efficiency and on-time delivery, key benchmarks for any service bureau
Check out our series of articles dedicated to 3d printing service providers and the keys to boosting business through automation:
How to unlock the potential of your 3D printing service bureau and skyrocket your business
How Can 3D Print Service Providers Achieve Successful Production Workflows?
With this tailor-made solution from 3YOURMIND, Ziggzagg can address the needs of their customers while being able to ensure constant efficiency.
Stijn Paridaens, the CEO of Ziggzagg, commented:
“We really have a customized solution that answers our challenges and ensures automation, quality and traceability of our parts, while also saving us time with features like saved addresses and the automotive label creation. Thanks to 3YOURMIND, we can increase the adoption of AM on a global scale.”
Want to learn more about AM service providers like ZiggZagg?
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