Fully operational 3D-printed window

Veka Group has produced what it believes to be the UK’s very first fully operational 3D-printed M70 window.

Head of technical Paul Kennington said: “Veka Group is well known for staying ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation in PVCU. Now, we believe Veka Group is the first to 3D-print a fully functioning window.

“We invested in this top-of-the-range 3D printing technology because it offers significant benefits for our customers, particularly for prototyping. It means we can create and test the viability of potential new products immediately, for a fraction of the cost associated with traditional prototyping.

“We can anticipate where efficiencies can be made and solve any potential problems long before we get to the more involved tooling design stage. It has already allowed us to produce numerous prototypes for internal needs and for our customers, including designing and testing a new bottom rail for a customer to add to their door range.

“The unique thing about this printer, compared to others we’ve used in the past, is that it can print to any size. So rather than creating a scale model of something, we can actually produce a like-for-like physical product that customers can get to grips with.

“The fully functioning M70 side-opening casement we’ve 3D printed is life sized and we’ve been able to fit it with all the relevant hardware. It’s already been used for demonstration purposes on a number of occasions.”