Three questions to … René Müller

A LinkedIn post drew our attention to René Müller. This was because the managing director of Aufzugsservice Süd GmbH presented an unusual idea there ...

Before going into business on his own, the 54-year old had worked for ThyssenKrupp Aufzüge for 25 years, where he completed his apprenticeship. "At that time, I initially worked as a fitter and later became familiar with every facet of lift building in leading positions."

You recently produced a mechanical part for the first time with a 3D printer. How did this happen?
Müller: I’m always thinking about what technologies it would make sense to integrate into everyday practice. And not long ago we were faced with a problem – a small mechanical part in the door drive was defective. Nothing big but without this part, the lift wouldn’t run. Normally, we would have had to order it, which would have meant that the lift would been out-of-order for a few more days. Then our technician suddenly suggested, "We could also just print it!" At first I was taken aback but the idea immediately appealed to me. So we fired up the 3D printer and a few hours later the new part had been installed. The lift was back in operation and we hadn’t just saved time but also produced a spare part for ourselves for the first time.

How did it work? Do you plan to do it again?
Müller: Surprisingly, it worked perfectly at the first go. The software we designed the part with is really good so that the preparation didn’t take long. All in all, from the first click to the finished printed part, it only took two hours. What really counts is printing the part as solid material and selecting the matching filament since this is what determines the stability and as a result the success. And yes, whenever it’s possible and makes sense, we’re going to do the same thing again.The possibilities are simply too great not to use them.

What are the advantages of 3D printing of parts?
Müller: Obviously, the biggest advantage is the time. We don’t have to wait around for days for a spare part but instead can simply produce it ourselves on the same day. On top of this is the flexibility: we’re not dependent on what manufacturers' have in stock or on their delivery times but instead we can also build special or older parts that may not even exist anymore. In addition, we save costs – both for the part itself as well as for the downtime of the lift. Last but not least, it’s simply fun to see how a functional, tangible part is created from an idea on a monitor in no time.

Online: Aufzugsservice Süd GmbH Follow this link to the web presence of Aufzugsservice Süd GmbH. https://wwwaufzugsservice-sued.de