Concept Laser cuts turf on new additive manufacturing center in Germany

06 Dec 2017

GE investing €105m in new subsidiary to build 40,000m² facility for 500 staff, to open by 2019.

With the groundbreaking of a new site in Lichtenfels, Germany, GE Additive and Concept Laser have laid the foundation for a new facility. The 3D Campus will unite research and development along with production, service, and logistics. The new offices should be ready for move-in early 2019, and around 40,000 square meters will provide room for about 500 employees.

The site’s planned machine production capacity will be four times higher than today’s capbility. GE says this will make Concept Laser’s Lichtenfels facility “a global GE center for the production of 3D metal printing machines”. About 105 million euros are to be invested into the location.

'Strong growth'

The 3D Campus will accommodate the strong growth of Concept Laser in recent years and make room for further expansions. Ilse Aigner, Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy, and Technology came to Lichtenfels for the launch ceremony, and commented: “The investment made by GE and Concept Laser is a clear statement of confidence in this location”.

She added, “It secures jobs and provides a vital boost to growth in the region. The 3D Campus will create a center for 3D metal printing that offers real added value for the whole of Bavaria. 3D printing is becoming more prevalent in almost all sectors because it allows lighter, more variable and more stable components to be produced using fewer resources. Additive Manufacturing therefore has an important role to play for Bavaria as a forward-looking industrial location.”

'Creating jobs'
“I am pleased to take the next step in our growth strategy with today’s groundbreaking. We are not only laying the foundation for a new facility, but also creating skilled jobs in the region. Lichtenfels will become a global beacon for industrial 3D printing as the new GE center,” says Frank Herzog, founder, Chairman and CEO of Concept Laser.

Three-thousand-eight-hundred truck loads of cement will be laid in the 3D Campus. Add to that 3,600 tons of steel, which corresponds to a weight of 6.5 fully loaded A380 Airbus aircraft. The posts required for the building add up to a total length of 5.9 kilometers.

The location for the 3D Campus in the new Seubelsdorf/Lichtenfels industrial park combines ideal characteristics, such as having a great location and connections. The outstanding growth of Concept Laser in recent years is reflected in the currently fragmented office situation – and the current facilities Lichtenfels/Schney location cannot be expanded any further.

Concept Laser, which was founded in 2000 by Frank Herzog, is a leading providers of machine and plant technology for the 3D printing of metal components. Since December 2016, Concept Laser has been part of GE Additive, a division of General Electric (GE). GE Additive was founded in 2016 and acquired 75% of the company shares of Concept Laser, among others.