en.Wedoany.com Reported - Designtech in Milan, Italy, Caracol, and Lamáquina in Barcelona, Spain, have joined forces to establish the first permanent center for robotic large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) dedicated to the design sector in Milan. The center brings together three complementary businesses—innovative infrastructure, industrial-grade advanced manufacturing technology, and design-to-production expertise—to create an operational LFAM working environment integrated into the local design community, open to designers, studios, and brands.
Designtech is a leading industry hub for design, furniture, architecture, and construction in Milan, serving as a connector between creative professionals and technology, manufacturing capabilities, and expertise, helping to transform design concepts into tangible products and architectural outcomes.
Caracol acts as the technology enabler in this collaboration, providing not just hardware but a complete robotic advanced manufacturing ecosystem. The core equipment is its Heron AM platform, now deployed within the Designtech space, which can produce large unreinforced and fiber-reinforced thermoplastic components using sustainable and recycled materials. Around this platform, Caracol has also configured the Eidos Manufacturing software, materials and process expertise, and years of production experience, enabling the system to operate at industrial-grade quality. For the design community, this means production capabilities previously limited to industrial manufacturers are now readily accessible.
Lamáquina contributes production knowledge and culture, transforming large-format robotic 3D printing into a true design tool. The company brings expertise in computational design, robotic programming, and materials research, guiding projects from the concept stage to finished delivery, with an international project portfolio spanning museums, restaurants, fashion boutiques, exhibition centers, and cultural institutions.
Beyond the center's operations, the three partners share a long-term goal: to promote and disseminate the culture and expertise of large-format robotic manufacturing within Italy's design and manufacturing community, enabling designers, studios, brands, and cultural institutions to develop projects that push beyond existing production boundaries.
