Case Study: 3D printer accelerates engineering firm’s growth

A Finance For Industry (FFI) funded 3D printer (HP Jet Fusion 5210) for Incremental Engineering has seen the firm double in size since taking possession of the machine in July 2022, with further plans to expand on the horizon.

According to the West Sussex-based firm’s Managing Director and founder, Jerry Sutton, the machine allows the manufacture of MJF (multi-jet fusion) parts to SMEs who don’t have the technological manufacturing capability in-house.

“What it’s allowed us to do is double our capacity in a very short space of time,” explained Jerry. “After starting the business in 2018 with a few small printers we very quickly outgrew the demand placed on us by our customers and needed to increase our output.

“The HP 3D printer has really accelerated our expansion, but despite this, we are running at 100% capacity almost 100% of the time.”

Jerry said the support he’s received from FFI has been ‘brilliant’, adding: “I now see the benefit of asset finance – it’s not something I’d have considered in the past, but its flexibility has been a real eye-opener.

“And having a funder that, like us, prefers to work in partnership with its customers, really suits us because we can draw on their expert knowledge and know that they will advise and challenge, when necessary.”

Max O’Shea, Area Sales Manager, Finance for Industry: “We’ve been working with Incremental Engineering since before the pandemic and have been delighted to watch them grow as demand for their services has increased.

“This Hire Purchase deal over 48 months is typical of the type of transaction we use to help businesses across the UK reach their potential, and I can’t wait to see how Incremental Engineering develops in the months and years ahead – we have exciting developments in the pipeline.”

Jerry also paid tribute to the role Matsuura Machinery played, who supplied the machine: “Matsuura is an incredible reseller and their customer service is outstanding, including doing jobs on our behalf when we encountered a problem, which for a new start-up is an invaluable service.

“As with FFI, Matsuura really support the growth of their customers well beyond delivery of the assets.”

Joseph Bellis, Additive Manufacturing Sales Manager at Matsuura Machinery Ltd commented: “It’s been a pleasure working with Jerry and Incremental Engineering over the last few years. He has gone from strength to strength, building a business known for its quality and engineering know-how, fully utilising the manufacturing capabilities of the HP MJF technology to create value added parts.

“At Matsuura we have a 'hands-on' collaborative approach to working with all our customers, supporting them from the outset and throughout their journey. FFI has the same ethos, working closely with their customers to understand the technology and provide the best funding solutions available.”