Open vs. closed systems
Anyone who deals with additive manufacturing quickly comes across two completely different worlds. On the one hand, there are closed systems in which machines can only be operated with materials and software from the machine manufacturer. On the other hand, open systems in which manufacturers concentrate purely on machine development and leave the rest to their customers.
We at NEVO3D offer the advantages of both worlds and would like to clearly show you the differences and advantages.
You often have to look at the closed system issue from a different perspective to understand the real implications. Imagine buying a CNC milling machine that you could only use with tools, clamping devices and raw materials from the manufacturer. Due to the associated dependency, no entrepreneur would want to make this decision. On the one hand, this results in significantly higher costs, and on the other hand, it enormously reduces the number of possible applications!
— Markus Kaltenbrunner, Distribution NEVO3D GmbH
Advantages of open additive manufacturing systems
- No dependencies on just one supplier
Current crises show us how important it is for companies to have flexible supply chains and not to be dependent on just one supplier. In recent years there have been several material delivery problems with closed system providers.
- Significantly lower material costs
The open system results in pricing for consumables in the free market economy. This means, for example, that you get 1KG ABS filament from NEVO3D around 75% cheaper than comparable closed systems. With a service life of 8 years, 3000 printing hours per year and approx. 40 kg of ABS material per year, you will save approx. €36,000 in material costs over the entire term when purchasing an EL-140 from NEVO3D compared to closed machines from competitors.
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Open to new developments
Closed systems usually only offer a few materials. New releases are, if at all, only available for high update fees. With our open systems, you benefit from our regular material innovations, but at the same time you can also rely on special materials and new developments from third-party providers.
- More applications can be implemented
Due to the great freedom in material selection, programming and the significantly lower material costs, in our experience, twice as many applications can often be implemented profitably in companies.
Disadvantages of open additive manufacturing systems
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Slightly more training effort and expert knowledge are required when selecting materials and parameters.
Similar to CNC milling, there are many possible ways and parameters to achieve your goal in additive manufacturing. Everything starts with understanding the requirements for the component and the associated selection of the right material and parameters. This selection is often crucial for economic efficiency and technical feasibility.
Open systems present greater challenges to both us and our customers. However, it offers more possibilities than closed systems. That's why we at NEVO3D have developed a multi-stage training program and standard parameters for our 16 materials. We are happy to assist our customers as a development partner for special materials and series applications.
— Kevin Griesmayr, COO NEVO3D GmbH
NEVO3D offers advantages from both worlds
Both open and closed systems appeal to different groups of buyers. Experienced users. Those working in additive manufacturing often tend towards open systems. Newcomers, on the other hand, tend to prefer “plug and play” closed systems.
We at NEVO3D offer you the advantages of both worlds. To give you a quick start, we have 16 different materials including parameter sets in different quality levels that we have tested. Nevertheless, you get an open machine from us that complies with all industry standards and is therefore open to other material manufacturers.
Your advantages briefly summarized again:
- Independence from the material manufacturer
- Lower material costs
- Always up to date with the latest material developments
- No activation costs for new materials
- 16 different materials with predefined parameters directly from the manufacturer
- Building internal additive manufacturing know-how
- High flexibility in programming
500+ companies use NEVO3D machines to produce their components.
Contact us! We are taking the next step in additive manufacturing together!
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