What would you like to achieve in the next 3-4 years?

The perspective of 3-4 years in such a dynamically developing industry as 3D printing is very distant. The most important challenges we’ll be facing during this period are, dynamic expansion into foreign markets and addition of new devices to our product offer. The development of our company is based on building a strong and specialized re-seller community around the Graften brand.

We are counting on great dynamism in this area because we provide our re-sellers with very attractive conditions of cooperation and support. In order to stand out in the market with an encouraging product base, we are already working on another printer model with a large working area close to 40 cm in each axis. We also intend to continuously develop the ecosystem of our flagship printer.

In the near future, our users will receive peripheral devices that enhance the functionality of the Graften One printer with such usability as:

automatic removal of printouts from the work platform for serial printing
increasing the Z-axis working area up to 200 cm
additional software for controlling automated printer farms called ‘Graften One System.’

What makes the Graften One M1, M2 different from any other 3D printer?

Graften One is a technologically advanced device operating in an open environment. The strength of our flagship printer is the user-friendly interface, very good print quality, stable construction, the possibility to choose from two configurations: M1 – single extruder or M2 – double extruder, as well as attractive price.

We wanted every user to be able to fully enjoy the potential of our printer, so the device can communicate via WiFi, USB, Ethernet or Micro SD card. The printer’s software is shared in the cloud via WiFi. This means that the user does not need to install any software or drivers. Simply connect to WiFi and enter the printer’s IP address in your web browser.

The potential of this functionality is particularly appreciated by the educational industry. The ability to control the printer simultaneously with multiple smart phones, tablets, and computers that are connected to the same WiFi network means that teachers can directly involve their students in the learning process.

The software itself gives you access to two levels:

Simplified, which can be handled by literally everyone, all it requires from the user is to choose the expected quality, filling, and type of filament.
The second level is advanced, and it allows more demanding users to change various parameters.

After the file is sent for printing, it’s uploaded into the printer’s large built-in memory, so that you no longer need to support the connection to the control device. Communication with the printer is also possible via the Internet, which opens up huge possibilities for the user.

Graften One is able to print from all kinds of materials currently available on the market: from popular ABS or PLA to highly flexible plastics as well as composites. Print heads can operate in temperatures up to 400C and the self-levelling worktable in temperatures up to 110C. The user is able to replace the print nozzles depending on the printing preferences.

The standard set includes a seven-inch, branded tablet with an online camera, as well as side panels to cover the working chamber. The casing, apart from its aesthetic design, ensures the maximum rigidity of the structure. It is steel-aluminium, welded and powder-coated so that no technological connections can be seen.

What differentiates the Graften One M1 printer from the M2?

The only difference is the number of print heads. All other components are the same in both configurations.

What was your greatest challenge / Achievement?

From the very beginning, Graften Motorsport, a project aimed at the implementation of 3D printing in racing, has been developed simultaneously. It was here that we faced the most challenges and also successes.

I think that I was able to implement the passion for perfection and precision that I have learned on the race track into the DNA of our printer – Graften One. You know that everything new requires courage, dedication, and commitment.

The beginnings are always difficult, but nowadays, when we appear on the race track, more and more people surround us. They are interested in what we do. We’re visited by champions and their engineers, as well as amateurs. They come to us to see for themselves how many opportunities the 3D print provides.

Graften Motorsport is a team that takes part in the Polish and European Championships. With full commitment, on our own motorcycles, we are testing and developing racing parts printed on 3D desktop printers.

There are two main rules that we follow:

The first rule is –

Safety and responsibility principle: each designed component, before it’s made available to the users, shall undergo tests under extreme conditions. In order for the parts to be allowed on the race track, all these elements are also being subject to meticulous checks by technical committees that enable motorcycles to take part in the competition.

The Second rule is –

The second principle concerns usability: each part must be designed in such a way so that after printing it on a Graften One it is almost immediately ready to be mounted on the motorcycle without excessive post processing.

At this moment we already have 19 printed elements on our motorcycle that generate savings exceeding 4000 PLN per motorcycle. During the 2017 season, our biggest hit was the aerodynamic winglets known from the Moto GP series.

They helped to stabilise the motorcycle and increase the front axle pressure during the quick turns. In this season we are planning the reconstruction of air box in order to increase the boost and, finally, the power. But the Graften One printer is not just about Motorsports.

For example

The Graften recently won the 2nd place in the prestigious CD3D Polish Industry Awards as the Best New Company 2017, we already have many interesting implementations and successes in business, medicine, entertainment or education and every day brings us new challenges, experiences, and achievements.

What exactly is Graften?

Our mission is to convince users that one’s limits are one’s own imagination. Graften exists to popularise technology, inspire users to push these boundaries of their own creativity.

Why do we do what we do? Because we want to show that incremental technology still has enormous potential and that there are still many undiscovered spaces in which 3D printing can be implemented, thus opening up new possibilities.

Our printers and unique objects created on them are only tools that help achieve what is really important in life. They help our clients to realize their visions, goals, dreams and, above all, to stand out from the crowd.

My words are backed up by such innovative implementations as printing parts for professional motorcycles, a series of printed jigsaw puzzles that produce musical instruments, furniture, and other designer objects, as well as many other implementations that from the very beginning required unconventional thinking.

When did Graften start?

Graften is a company with 16 years of history, however, for our start in the 3D printing business, we have to take 2014 when we were the first in our city to start providing 3D printing services.

Where are you located?

Graften is a Polish company established in the city of Olsztyn. Since its inception, it has been closely associated with the University of Warmia and Mazury, which has been using Graften One printers as a beta-tester for over a year.

Why do you want re-sellers in the United Kingdom market?

United Kingdom is the first step in our long-term strategy for international development and expansion. We have chosen the British market as the most promising because our innovative printer fits it best. Re-sellers in the UK can count on strong support from our brand. The benefits of joining our network are based on four pillars:

Work on very high margins, reaching up to 50%.
Our full support for the Re-sellers’ Network includes:

– Distribution of the training materials and educational content

– Information about the cooperation on our website, social media and blog, as well as during public presentations.

– Promotional campaigns on social media websites, news aggregators, and forums

Participation in the contest for the General Distributor (and also for the local one) who will replace Graften in the distribution of its products in the particular area, and will supervise the smaller distributors.
Transparent principles and rules of the pricing policy which support Re-sellers’ activity:

– Our Re-sellers always have the right to grant a small discount for printers. It will not be available at graften.com website/shop (with the exclusion of cooperative periodic promotional offers).

– The strategy of “suggested retail prices” which aim is to maintain a healthy competition.

Why did you get into 3D printing?

We started operating in the industry in 2014, fascinated by the idea of the popularisation of the 3D printing market. We decided that it’s the right technology to be implemented in the Motorsports. Printers available on the market did not meet our expectations because they either significantly exceeded our budget or did not provide satisfactory quality. That’s what inspired us to develop Graften One, a professional desktop printer at an affordable price.

How did you get into 3D Printing Motorsport Parts?

When we started working on Graften One 3 years ago, it was a time when, after a few years’ break, I was coming back to motorcycle racing. From the very beginning, it was part of our plan to implement 3D printing technology in Motorsport. We were excited and inspired by the fact that nobody had done it before us.

It was an utterly virgin niche for us, but one in which we felt very comfortable and natural. We were at home with designing and printing 3D parts for motorcycle racing, it is a natural environment for us, after all.

Graften is a simple story…. but inspired by passion, adrenaline, and adventure.

Thank you for the interview, with kindest regards: Daniel Mańkowski, CEO Graften

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