Archive — This 2020 report recounts a visit to the Arcam EBM centre and the outlook expressed at that time. Roles, figures and plans refer to the original reporting period.
During our 2020 visit, GE Additive introduced Arcam AB’s history, working environment and plans for the following years.
“GE is incredibly serious about Additive Manufacturing as a business and what it means to be a world-class leader in the industry.” From the outset, Jason Oliver, CEO & Vice-President of GE Additive quickly set the tone for our tour.
Our visit offered an opportunity to examine how these ambitions informed the centre’s organisation, production resources and collaboration between teams.
2016, an important milestone for Arcam AB
Founded in 1997, Arcam reached an important milestone when GE acquired a controlling stake in the company in 2016.
The developer of electron beam powder-bed fusion (EBM) systems, then based in Mölndal, Sweden, became part of GE’s additive manufacturing development. GE’s November 2016 announcement describes the controlling stake.
In August 2019, GE Additive announced the opening of the Arcam EBM Center of Excellence at Mölnlycke Business Park, southeast of Gothenburg. Its September 2019 company update reported 15,000 square metres, approximately three times the space of the previous Mölndal site.
The previous tenant, a 2D Printing company, completely moved out its last production machines at the end of October 2018.
The facility, therefore, underwent a complete transformation. The new building welcomed the first team members in June 2019 and the production and logistics teams followed over in early December 2019.
“Having a new facility gives you the chance to change and improve efficiency & quality”, said Oliver.
In a few words, the new building comprises several areas: the visitor welcoming area, the education centre that includes a dressing room, a convivial space for lunches, breaks, formal and informal meetings, as well as various meeting & conference rooms, the practical training area, the additive test centre, the R&D lab, an open space office environment including private workrooms, meeting rooms, software lab, electronics lab, prototyping room, and a big manufacturing/production area.
According to information provided during the visit, 7,100 square metres were then in use. The company planned to develop additional working areas, including spaces for creative work.
1. Safety
Safety is important both for technology and employees.
Prevention requires measures suited to the operations, machines and materials, including the necessary protective equipment. Such equipment addresses particular risks and does not remove the need to assess other preventive measures.
Special precautions have been taken in key areas that we visited, starting from the practical training area. In this area, the company holds theoretical lessons on technology with its customers. However, whenever they have to carry out a specific exercise with the additive manufacturing systems, they have to wear safety equipment.
The production area and the R&D lab are other environments where safety equipment is mandatory. On the walls at the entrance of these zones, one could read the rules of safety and conduct that apply to each space. Furthermore, we identified the safety equipment (shoes, clothes, gloves, etc.) used by operators at specific corners of these zones. Apart from confidentiality reasons, it wasn’t possible to enter some rooms because we did not have that required equipment.
The rules observed during the visit concerned access to working areas and precautions for equipment and materials. The visit was not a compliance audit of the facility.
Powder handling and management also require precautions appropriate to each material’s properties, to limit exposure, contamination and environmental releases. General guidance cannot replace material-specific and site-specific procedures.
2- Possibilities for cross-cooperation
The site’s organisation also aimed to facilitate exchanges between teams.
At GE Additive Arcam EBM, this cross-cooperation is seen at three levels:
- The working environment
- The type of profile that works in the company
- The cross-border cooperation
The working environment
Open-plan offices formed a substantial part of the centre. The company presented them as a way to encourage exchanges and collaboration.
This arrangement extended to most employees, including management. It was intended to make contact easier, although a visit alone could not establish its effect on decision-making or productivity.
However, the need for quieter spaces and private workrooms is also met for those who perform best when it’s quiet or in their own space. For obvious reasons, the staff from the R&D department has their own office.
The type of profile that works for the company
Founded 23 years before this report, Arcam brought together several generations and professional backgrounds. Its managers emphasised the diversity of these skills.
“Having all the resources in one technology also passes by young people. As a young entrepreneurial company, technology fascinates us. Our employees can develop and feel they are part of this journey”, explained GE Additive Arcam EBM Karl Lindblom.
“We have been able to transform the way the world sees technology thanks to our multi-faceted team. One thing I realized when I started at Arcam EBM is that there is still a lot to be done and our engineers are feeling that. More importantly, to make our vision a reality, each engineer has more than one competence. You will not find an engineer here that specializes in one core competence”, stated Annika Ölme – Vice President of product management at GE Additive Arcam EBM.
The cross-border cooperation
Representatives at the centre also described regular exchanges with customers, suppliers and universities outside Sweden.
Taking the example of how the company handles the shipments across the world, Karl Lindblom explained that 1/3 of products are shipped towards Europe – mainly in Italy -, 1/3 in Asia and 1/3 in the USA.
3- Growth opportunities
Growth opportunities are not only perceived through the possibilities that employees have within the company, but also in the way the company evolves with its customers.
According to the representatives interviewed, training sessions were held almost every week at the Swedish centre. They could lead to further work on customers’ projects and help identify new requirements.
More importantly, be it at the facility – in the working environment – or within the company itself, there are still new areas that need to be developed. Speaking of the working environment, the company mentioned the need to arrange more creative spaces for the staff.
Regarding technology, automation is the next issue to address – automation in the way AM systems are handled. “We might expect more output and even turnkey solutions in that regard, in the next couple of years”, announced Karl Lindblom.
This two-year horizon reflects the outlook expressed in 2020, not a current deadline or a verified outcome.
4. Resources committed to the centre
According to information gathered for this report, GE had invested $18 million in the centre. Its layout was intended to support the teams’ work and customer visits. This is the investment figure reported at the time of the visit.
What it means to be part of GE
Since its acquisition of the Swedish company, GE had announced the site would “increase machine production capacity and allow for a more collaborative set-up within the company; uniting logistics, research and development, services and operations.”
“Having an industrial owner is a great chance as they understand us as a company”, said Karl Lindblom, General Manager GE Additive Arcam EBM.
The visit highlighted an intention to organise production around Lean Manufacturing principles: coordinating activities, sharing information and improving processes.
These principles provide working objectives; they do not establish a return on investment for every customer or guarantee a successful transition to serial production. Results depend on the parts, volumes and process qualification.
What’s next?
The outlook discussed in 2020 included further automotive applications, particularly in connection with electrification. GE Additive described these needs as opportunities for development with customers.
The representatives interviewed welcomed new competitors in EBM. This expressed confidence in the market’s development; it did not establish how Arcam’s future market share would evolve.
All images: 3D ADEPT Media.
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