Company: SHANGHAI GENMES OFFICE PRODUCTS CO., LTD.
Industry: Manufacturer, Stationary
Interviewee: Wang, Daiji
Title: Product Designer
Established in July 1995, Shanghai Genmes Office Products CO., LTD has spent nearly three decades in the production of office supplies. Its products include bookends, staplers, staple removers, hole punchers, tally counters, pencil sharpeners, tape dispensers, stamp pads, name card cases, and more. Genmes operates from a 100,000 square meter production plant with 800 employees and 150 professional technicians who specialize in design, mold-making, production, and delivery. The Genmes team has experience with 3D printing, due to their use of the Stratasys system
3D printed prototype assembled onto metal frame of stapler model.
Why Genmes Needed a 3D Printer
An expansive brand and manufacturer like Genmes offers hundreds of different product types that fall under 10 different categories. Genmes operate on a large scale, with immense necessary prototyping and production design, however, their production space is compact. Even when the company leveraged the 3D printing system of their parent company, Genmes had difficulty satisfying the required speed and demand for delivery. The only way to improve their timeline would be to acquire an in-house 3D printer. However, the 3D printer would need to be able to perform at an industrial pace with a compact size.
When new opportunities arose in their CAD/CAM-equipped R&D center, Genmes chose Raise3D’s N2 3D printer to expand their business.
Detached prototype detailing the internal assembly features
Collection of completed prototypes
How the Raise 3D N2 Improved Production Time
According to the Genmes manager, receiving a printed sample from their parent company was typically a 3-week process. This timeline included technical communication between Genmes and their parent company for printing, and shipment to delivery.
Now with an in-house 3D printer, there is almost no lead time required to begin printing. Therefore, by applying the Raise3D N2 to their production, Genmes does business without participating in a lengthy collaboration process with their parent company for printing.
N2 3D Printer is a Functional Machine for R&D
The N2 is a functional and integral part of Genmes’ R&D department. Of the nineteen people in the R&D department, six were chosen to create a 3D Project Team. The 3D Project Team is in charge of all 3D printable rapid prototyping. The 3D printer’s accuracy allows it to assemble the printed part with a metal mechanism.
How the N2 is An Ideal 3D Printer for Genmes
As an experienced user of 3D and CAD-based rapid prototyping, the Genmes team prepare their products using 3D technology before going into production. The Raise3D N2 is primarily involved in 3D printing Genmes completed 3D models to test and verify results before proceeding to final production. The features which make the N2 the ideal 3D printer for such a project include printer performance, accuracy, build volume, material compatibility, and desktop size. Its endurance keeps it working like new after a year of extensive use.
Genmes production team with their Raise3D N2
Summary:
As an experienced user of 3D and CAD-based rapid prototyping, the Genmes team prepares their products in 3D before going into production. Their limited production space and high demands required an industrial-level system in a compact area.
By transitioning to Raise3D, the company was able to:
1.Speed up turnaround times by adopting an in-house printer.
2.Utilize the limited space with the compact machine.
3.Verify physical prototypes of their model prior to final production.
