Learn how Creabis virtually eliminated its paper waste and improved business outcomes by digitizing its 3D printing workflow.
When Creabis established itself as a 3D printing service bureau in 2011, it began like many young companies do – with a cumbersome operational workflow.
The Munich-based service bureau, which provides plastic 3D printing services to industries such as automotive, aerospace, and electronics, established a strong foundation of repeat customers within a few short years. However, as business grew, so did the complexity of managing orders, leading to a growing challenge: an overwhelming reliance on paperwork.
According to Ralf Deuke, managing director of Creabis, knowing specific details about an order, such as what needed to be done and when it would be finished, was a complicated game of hide and seek.
“Our operations were typical for a company that has gone from zero,” says Deuke. “It was a mixture of thousands of sheets of paperwork, Excel, Word documents, and Teams communication.”
As the company grew and it gained customers in critical industries with precise requirements and documentation, Creabis realized its approach was unsustainable.
“It’s one thing to have orders that are done with a single print job and then shipped out,” says Deuke. “But if you have orders that last longer than three to four months and you have 20, 30, 50 machines working on the order, then you’re generating 200-300 pages of paperwork. It makes no sense at all because each page is just an update of the page before.”
To meet customer documentation requirements, Creabis must track key details, such as the machine used, production date, and material type. As storage and paper demands increased, Creabis knew it needed a better approach.
Beyond Paperless: How Creabis Optimized Production
By 2020, it was clear Creabis needed a digital solution to replace its fragmented, paper-heavy system. Creabis needed a centralized solution for order tracking, documentation, and production management. For this, the company selected 3YOURMIND’s Distributed Manufacturing software, an all-in-one platform for ordering and production.
Digitizing operations produced several vital advantages for Creabis. First, it makes locating and communicating information about a particular part or order much easier than previous efforts.
Pictured: Creabis now manages all of its part orders via an online web shop.
“If a customer is requesting information, our salesperson can log into their laptop and immediately have access to all of the information in one place and say, ‘Hey, your part is actually in the build process on this machine and it will be finished in four days,” says Deuke.
In addition to centralizing order information, Creabis was also able to eliminate the need for paper-based documentation.
“In 3YOURMIND’s history settings, we can look at a part and know exactly what machine it was built on,” says Deuke. “So instead of going into the archive and looking for some kind of paperwork, it’s just available, and that makes life very easy.”
A Focus On Improved Production Processes
The next major improvement for Creabis was its production operations. In addition to streamlining ordering and documentation, Creabis uses 3YOURMIND to develop its own production workflows. This capability is particularly beneficial because it ensures that each part goes through a particular production process, helping to alleviate decision fatigue.
“It’s much easier for the technicians who are handling parts after the build job to understand what the next step for this part is,” says Deuke. “So it also reduced the number of parts that went out to our customer without being dyed, or tumbled, etc.”
In addition to 3YOURMIND, Creabis has also introduced AM Flow post-production equipment, which helps to automate quality control functions such as part sorting, identification, and more. By digitizing its workflow, Creabis has improved efficiency and reduced errors. As a result, customers receive higher-quality parts faster and with greater traceability.
“In combination with the AM Flow machine, you can say that 3YOURMIND is the backbone of our company,” says Deuke.
Experience the difference for yourself. Head to the Creabis web shop to place your next 3D printed part order.