The German 3D printer manufacturer BigRep will be working with the drive and control system specialists from Bosch Rexroth on its future developments . The aim is to integrate CNC control technology into professional 3D printers for the first time, which should allow extremely precise and reliable manufacturing. The control systems from Bosch Rexroth are also ready for integration into an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and, according to the manufacturer, offer a high degree of connectivity and functions for data collection and transfer as part of the manufacturing process.

Moreover, the two partners want to develop 3D printers that allow even more cost-effective production; the company did not share the technical details of this. Additive manufacturing is already one of the key disruptive technologies of Industry 4.0. The Dutch banking and financial services provider ING has thus predicted that 3D printing could overtake traditional manufacturing as early as 2040.