Fin-Ing Produces First 3D Printer in Montenegro – Company Looking for Investors to Start Serial Production, Regional Sales Planned Too
Fin-Ing is a family company, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Podgorica. The company's operations in Montenegro and the region were based on the sale and servicing of computer equipment and computer networks.
– Since 2018, in cooperation with international and regional partners, we have expanded our activities to another two fields in the domain of ICT technologies, namely, assistive technology and 3D modeling and printing. We have official authorization for these areas – Milos Grbovic, the director and owner of Fin-Ing, says in his interview with eKapija.
As he points out, the company's business philosophy leans on an innovative approach to company management. In line with this, in 2019, they were registered as an innovative organization, whose operations included the designing and the production of the first Montenegrin 3D printer – 3D Buddy.
– Our company has eight employees, two of which are people with disabilities, of whom we are are very proud. I'd like to use this opportunity to once again thank my colleagues, who refused to give up. I believe that my company does not consists of me as the director and owner, but exclusively of my team, that is, my colleagues, whom I consider responsible for the company's success – Grbovic says.
Hard work on drawing, modeling, designing and procuring the part eventually resulted in the production of the first 3D printer in Montenegro.
– Our team worked hard on everything in order to produce perfect results. We can now say that we have made the first 3D printer produced in Montenegro. We called our debut Buddy, because that's what 3D printing is to people – it provides many benefits in medicine, education, society and is even environmentally friendly, because it produces a lot less waste than any other production technology – eKapija's interviewee says.
– They're Buddy-S (standard) and Buddy-B (basic). The technical characteristics of our 3D printers are around 10% better compared to the competition in the EU. Still, our prices will be 10-20% lower than in the EU. The interface is in Montenegrin, the guarantee for the 3D printer is three years and can be used at our 3D service in Podgorica. The case itself is made of extruded plexiglass of 4 mm and is fully closed, which enables the printing of all materials available for 3D printers – Milos says.
In realizing the project, Fin-Ing's team faced numerous challenges. Initially, they were worried about whether they would succeed in what they'd set out to do.
– We were wondering whether it would work as well as the models produced in the EU. Also, the finances were a great challenge. For us, as a small family company, each large investment was a risk to the company's survival, especially since this is not a widely understood technology, which means that it is not very well developed in Montenegro and beyond – he points out.
Still, the company successfully faced all the challenges and the end product, the 3D printer Buddy, is here. As our interviewee says, Fin-Ing is now looking for investors to start a serial production. The news of the first domestic 3D printer has also reached Serbia and Slovenia, leading to the first offers for cooperation.
– If we find a reliable investor, we plan to start a serial production. In case this doesn't happen, we will work at a lower capacity, but we don't want to give up and we won't. If we can't find an investor, our production rate will be up to seven printers a month. However, in case a serious investor appears, we would at least double our production. After it was announced that a 3D printer had been produced in Montenegro, we were contacted by companies from Novi Sad and Koper and offered a form of cooperation – Grbovic points out.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the use of 3D printing has proven to be useful in many areas. According to our interviewee, the implementation of 3D printers can make our lives easier and help us in all said spheres.
– During the coronavirus pandemic, the 3D printer has turned out to be a device which has largely helped produce protective equipment, medical visors and spare parts for respirators. As the authorized representative for 3D printing in Montenegro, at that moment we had only seven 3D printers with which we produced protective medical equipment. Our 3D studio now has 15 printers which are dedicated exclusively to service printing – Grbovic says.
– The first project is also a 3D printer which will be able to print out a model with the proportions 1,000x1,000x400 mm. The idea behind the second project is a 3D printer which will be able to do a filament with four different colors, meaning that the user will be able to get a model with at least four colors without changing the filament. We will realize the projects by the end of November – our interviewee says and adds that the testing of these two models is scheduled for December.
– We hope that those two models will be available in the 3D printing market in early 2021.
Talking about the advantages of the printer produced in Montenegro, Milos says that they can say that their device is at least 10% better when it comes to the technical characteristics than an equivalent model from the EU, while at the same time being 20% cheaper. It also has an interface in any language, but also a three-year guarantee, which is very important.
When it comes to the expectations, he says that he hopes that the awareness of the importance of 3D printing will increase in Montenegro and the region.
– I repeat, with the whole coronavirus situation, the interest jumped suddenly. People realized that a 3D printer is not a toy and that its purpose is not to make toys, but that it is a very serious machine. Those that know how to handle it have a device that can produce practically anything you can imagine. That is why one of our main slogans is “Your Mind is Your Limit”, when it comes to the 3D printing world – Milos says.
In the upcoming period, Fin-Ing will work actively on securing a stable production of 3D printers and look for new models, perfecting all its 3D printers.
– As I've already said, we have not yet seen a printer which can print a model with the proportions 1,000x1,000x400 mm in one piece. That's our challenge and goal now, but I know that we will succeed. Perhaps we end up being the first, not just in Montenegro, but also beyond, that will produce and own that model. To illustrate – on smaller 3D printers, you can do only one visor, whereas this model will be able to print out up to 15 visors at once. One thing is certain, we've only just begun. Whether someone will notice and help us, it's not up to us – Milos Grbovic says for eKapija.
Dragana Obradovic
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