Formnext 2026 Announcement in Frankfurt
“Gussteile werden leichter, komplexer und müssen schneller entwickelt werden,” said Joseba Goitia, CEO of Loramendi & Aurrenak, regarding the shifting demands of modern manufacturing.
Loramendi & Aurrenak and ExOne are expanding their partnership to advance the industrial use of additive manufacturing in foundries, foundry-planet.com reported. The strategic alliance combines core making, tooling, casting development, and automation with ExOne’s sand 3D printing technology. The partnership will be officially presented at Formnext 2026 in Frankfurt, taking place from November 17 to 20.
Adaptive Core Making Strategy
Loramendi & Aurrenak brings 53 years of experience in core making, tooling, and industrial automation to the partnership. ExOne contributes over three decades of binder jetting experience and an installed base of more than 500 systems worldwide. The companies are implementing an approach called Adaptive Core Making. This method combines conventional core manufacturing and additive manufacturing depending on geometry, volume, and requirements.
“Unsere Erfahrung zeigt, dass die überzeugendsten Business Cases beim Gussteil selbst beginnen,” explained Eric Bader, CEO of ExOne. 3D-printed sand packages allow for fast design iterations and prototype casting without requiring conventional tools in early development phases. Process knowledge gained during this phase transfers directly into optimized core boxes, permanent molds, and automated production systems.
Industrialization Precedents at BMW Landshut
The collaboration builds on technology developed during the Industrialization of Core Printing project at the BMW Group Plant in Landshut. That project integrated ExOne’s 3D sand printing technology with Loramendi’s automation and process engineering. The work resulted in what the companies describe as a worldwide first fully automated additive production line for sand cores in serial manufacturing.
Industrial integration extends beyond the core printing process itself. Operations include unpacking, cleaning, handling, coating, testing, assembly, and logistics. These downstream steps convert additive core making from isolated applications into a reliable industrial production process.
S-Max Pro Installation in Vitoria
ExOne will install an S-Max Pro industrial 3D sand printer at the Loramendi & Aurrenak facility in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. The system supports prototype development, printed sand packages, casting trials, customer benchmarks, and initial production batches. It also serves as a platform to develop and validate automated post-processing solutions.
Loramendi & Aurrenak will act as official representatives of ExOne in Spain and Portugal. Customers in those regions will receive local support for 3D sand printing, casting development, core manufacturing equipment, and tooling.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where will the partnership be officially presented?
The strategic alliance will be formally introduced at the Formnext 2026 exhibition in Frankfurt, which runs from November 17 to 20.
What specific equipment is being installed in Spain?
ExOne is installing an S-Max Pro industrial 3D sand printer at the Loramendi & Aurrenak facility in Vitoria-Gasteiz to support prototyping and casting trials.
Which previous joint project forms the foundation of this alliance?
The collaboration builds on the Industrialization of Core Printing project carried out at the BMW Group Plant in Landshut.
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