Welcome to the fifth edition of our KREATIZE newsletter: Cloud Manufactured!🗞 In this issue, we focus on the following topics.
Market Overview
September showed again that manufacturing remains strong in Europe, but that supply chain problems persist. We’ll highlight how Europe needs to re-skill its automotive workforce, how Chinese electric-vehicles are on the rise, and how Germany is planning on making big investments to strengthen Europe’s capacity to make semiconductors.
KREATIZE World
This month we tell you more about the KREATIZE mission, and what we mean by wanting to create manufacturing the world loves. We then show you how we have developed the optimal choice for companies seeking a manufacturing-as-a-service (MaaS) solution. KREATIZE’s Chief Supply-Chain Officer also shares more insights about the phase-gate approach to hardware development.
Innovator Of The Month
The company we’re featuring this month has received millions in funding, and is expanding internationally with its unique electric motorcycles.
KREATIZE Product
This month KREATIZE deployed several new features for both customers and partners. Our KMS and Kaktus systems have been enhanced once again, and are providing users with a much more seamless experience.
Connect X Hardware
KREATIZE is a proud supporter of Austria Wirtschaftsservice ‘s Connect X Hardware. The latter is an event that will connect hardware startups with investors and partners on November 4, 2021. We encourage hardware startups to apply for this unique opportunity.
Fun Stuff
Read to the end for the fun stuff that never disappoints! This month we’re featuring the manufacturing process of two vehicles with very unique characteristics. One whose utility is of immense importance for society, and another which is perhaps best described as a symbol of extravagance.
Let’s build! 🛠⚙️📦
MARKET OVERVIEW
Some key points and fresh news to help you better assess the state of the manufacturing industry. ⚙️🔩
🏭 Manufacturing in Europe 📊
Eurozone manufacturing showed growth in September, but weakened when compared to August as supply-chain problems continue to plague the sector, reported Marketplace. In September, the manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) fell to 58.6 from the 61.4 recorded in August, according to IHS Markit. Delays and shortages have yet to show signs of imminent improvement. Employment and outputs all showed slowdowns when compared to August. The PMI still remains over the 50 mark, which signals growth.
The shift to electric vehicles is going to create massive changes in the auto industry. A report cited by Autonews said European automotive manufacturers, and traditional suppliers could see a cumulative loss of 500,000 positions by 2030. The article also mentioned that re-skilling programs with EU backing were necessary to help workers better prepare for a zero-emissions future.
The affordability and quality of Chinese EVs is getting better and becoming harder for European manufacturers to ignore. According to a report cited by Euronews, the average price of a new electric car in China has fallen from €41,800 to €22,100 since 2012- a sizable drop of 47 per cent. On the other hand, the average price for a new electric car in Europe has climbed from €33,292 to €42,568 since 2012 – a significant increase of 28 percent. Quality and the level of technology is also becoming increasingly comparable. “If Europeans don’t do anything about this, the segment will be controlled by the Chinese," said an analyst at JATO Dynamics, according to Euronews.
EURACTIV reports that Germany is looking to invest several billion euros to jumpstart semiconductor production in Europe. “Access to sufficient microchips will become a competitive element for any successful global economy in the coming years,” said German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier at a press conference last September. Using one of the EU’s key subsidy tools to foment investment and lessen dependence on imports, Germany plans to invest approximately €3 billion to propel semiconductor production in Europe.
Chinese wind turbine maker MingYang Smart Energy is said to be planning to build a major manufacturing facility in southern Germany over the next three years, according to Windpower Monthly. This facility would be the first major wind manufacturing plant in Europe built by a Chinese company. Rival companies from China already have a footprint in Europe. For example, Beijing-based Goldwind currently holds a majority stake in a German turbine manufacturer.
Find out what we're working at KREATIZE on as we take cloud manufacturing from the fringes to the mainstream! 👨🚀🚀
KREATIZE: Manufacturing The World Loves
At KREATIZE our mission is to deliver manufacturing the world loves. We want to make it easier, more flexible, more transparent, and sustainable—at the lowest cost. Find out more about our mission in the following article by KREATIZE CEO Simon Tuechelmann.
The manufacturing industry is in the midst of many changes, as emerging technologies are enabling new ways to access manufacturing services, reducing production time and costs. In this article, we will share why cloud manufacturing by KREATIZE is the optimal approach for hardware companies looking to take advantage of manufacturing-as-a-service (MaaS) solutions.
Our third episode is about developing a hardware product with the phase-gate approach. The content is based on a white paper and webinar that KREATIZE’s Chief Supply Chain Officer, Zod Mehr, and Chief Commercial Officer, Thomas Hoffmeister, held earlier this year.
CAKE is a Swedish company that develops high-grade electric motorbikes. They are best known for their off-road Kalk, and utility machine Ösa. However, they have recently made headlines with Makka, which is their new electric city moped.
How are they doing? 💪
Founded in 2016, the Stockholm-based Cake raised $60 million in fresh capital this past September. The amount was $46 million from a financing round, and $14 million in convertible bonds, reported TechCrunch. The series B in funding included support from some of their current shareholders and was “anchored” by Swedish pension fund AMF, according to Electrive.com.
What are their plans? 🌍
The company will use the latest round of funding to expand its manufacturing in North America, Europe, and Asia. Until recently, Cake had been assembling its bikes in Taiwan, and then shipping them to warehouses or directly to consumers around the world. With new assembly facilities outside of Taiwan, Cake can ship enough components to its new locations to drastically increase its total production capacity, and satisfy a greater global demand. Cake is also expected to strengthen its retail operations with this funding, reports TechCrunch.
We’d like to introduce new product features which improve our service offering. These upgrades strengthen our transparent, and quality-driven approach to cloud manufacturing. ⚙️📊
What Are These New Features?
Kreatize Manufacturing Services (KMS) now features Automatic Configuration for uploaded parts. Kaktus has also undergone an enhancement, and now benefits from a more streamlined interface that provides our partners with a better user experience.
How Does This Benefit Customers?
As a result of Automatic Configuration, customers are able to modify their attachments, and batch sizes for all parts, and submit them for automatic configuration. This means customers will be able to get their parts cloud-ready (fully documented and standardized so that they can benefit from 1-click manufacturing) much faster, as all information regarding their materials, processes, and production will be incorporated with more efficiency.
By applying machine learning methods our system can now generate more insights from STEP files and technical drawings to determine required processes. This new feature automatically triggers an analysis of setup & process times, which permits our customers to view their cost estimates immediately after the Automatic Configuration is carried out.
How Does This Benefit Partners?
Automatic Configuration will also benefit our partners, because all parts will be configured in a standardized way. From the Kaktus side of things, we have added new features, such as the ability to download open book data as a csv file. Our Actual Manufacturing Times (AMT) feature has also undergone several user interface improvements. The latter includes a new dropdown for data type (e.g times, costs or none). All of these features are going to provide a better, and more efficient user experience for our partners.
We would like to tell you about this exciting event, which connects hardware startups with partners and investors.
What is it about?
Are you a hardware startup looking to take your product to the next level? Apply now for Austria Wirtschaftsservice ‘s Connect X Hardware event on November 4, 2021 for a chance to pitch to investors, and meet potential partners.
As a partner of many hardware startups, KREATIZE is excited to introduce the benefits of our cloud manufacturing network to a new crop of nascent businesses.
KREATIZE is also proud to be a supporter of Connect X Hardware, along with other organizations, such as TELE Haase Steuergeräte, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, Factory Hub Vienna, Jarolim Partner and EIT Manufacturing.