Case Study: K.B. Hanssons

Hanssons Foundry has supplied international companies around Europe with precision prototypes and production castings for decades. The team prides itself on being a qualified partner supporting customers through the entire manufacturing process, from planning and mold preparation to casting execution.

As a supplier of certified precision castings from impellers and propellers to manifolds, Hanssons aims to quickly adjust to any production need of a customer. Long core lead times that delayed deliveries led the foundry to research solutions to provide faster turnarounds. 

“We sourced 3D printing services before we invested in our own system, so we knew we could drive down time and costs,” said Thomas Nielsen, CEO of Hanssons. “The large-format size to build molds and cores and the fast production speeds attracted us to ExOne’s binder jetting solutions.” 

Thomas Nielsen
CEO Hanssons Foundry

Hanssons installed an S-Max® Pro premium binder jetting system in 2020 and began providing precision tooling without the long wait and high cost of traditional patterns and core boxes.

Nielsen admits it takes time for customers to embrace the new technology but sees 3D printing growing as more companies see the benefits for rapid prototype castings. Hanssons also impresses clients with the high-quality and fine detail of the 3D printed cores that the team can deliver fast, even for single-piece production.

Being the first foundry in Denmark with an in-house sand 3D printer is a source of pride and a business opportunity. “Someone had to be the first,” Nielsen said. Hanssons 3D prints molds and cores not only for its casting customers, but also to supply other foundries with on-demand tooling for production. “We can offer local solutions to the market, and it helps reduce delivery times and ease supply chains even more when we can produce domestically for industrial buyers so they don’t have to order abroad.”

Fast Mold and Core Production with 3D Printing at Hanssons