Süß & friends: Pioneering Innovation and Additive Thinking in 3D Printing with “THE BRUSH”

In the dynamic landscape of modern manufacturing, the German company Süß & friends has carved a unique niche, distinguishing itself not only with an unconventional name but also through profound creativity and a groundbreaking approach to 3D printing. This ingenuity was prominently recognized at the prestigious 3D Pioneers Challenge, where Süß & friends triumphed in both the “DIGITAL” and “Design for Manufacturing” categories. Their winning project? A remarkable reinvention of an age-old everyday object: the brush. We had the exclusive opportunity to speak with company founder Philipp Süß, a visionary mechanical engineer, to delve deeper into the mission of Süß & friends, understand the inspiration behind their award-winning idea, and learn how his team empowers other companies to successfully integrate additive manufacturing into their operations. This interview sheds light on the transformative power of additive thinking and the collaborative spirit that defines their innovative work.

3DN: Can you briefly introduce yourself and your connection to 3D printing?

Hi, I’m Philipp Süß, and I am the proud founder of Süß & friends. My journey into the world of additive manufacturing began during my university studies, where I quickly became fascinated by its immense potential. Over the years, through various industrial projects, I gained firsthand experience with the significant challenges companies face when trying to adopt this transformative technology. A successful implementation of 3D printing isn’t just about acquiring new machinery; it fundamentally demands a paradigm shift in thinking – what we refer to as “additive thinking.” This new mindset is crucial for understanding how to design for additive processes rather than traditional manufacturing methods. Concurrently, leveraging modern CAD software and advanced design methodologies is indispensable to fully unlock the vast capabilities of this technology. Recognizing these entry barriers and the need for specialized expertise, I established Süß & friends in 2017. Our core mission is to guide companies through these complexities, mitigate initial hurdles, and develop products meticulously optimized for additive processes, thereby helping them harness the full power of 3D printing from conception to production.

3DN: Süß & friends has an unconventional name compared to other companies in the industry. How did the idea for it come about, and what distinguishes your company?

Indeed, our name often raises an eyebrow, especially in an industry where company names frequently incorporate terms like “tech,” “digital,” or “3D” to immediately signal their domain. While these names are straightforward, we wanted Süß & friends to convey a deeper meaning, reflecting the very essence of how we operate. In additive manufacturing, the successful development and production of complex 3D printed components rarely happen in isolation. Instead, it almost always requires profound collaboration with a diverse ecosystem of specialists and organizations. This network includes vital partners such as manufacturers of 3D printing equipment and materials, innovative software producers, skilled 3D printing service providers, and, perhaps most importantly, the dedicated employees at our client companies. We firmly believe that, particularly with a technology as inherently digital and rapidly evolving as additive manufacturing, fostering open, collaborative dialogue on an equal footing is paramount. It’s in these synergistic discussions that truly novel ideas emerge, and the most effective technical solutions are forged. The word “friend” in our company name is a deliberate choice to encapsulate these critical aspects of our work – our collaborative spirit, our partnership approach, and our commitment to building strong, supportive relationships that drive innovation and success for everyone involved.

3DN: In addition to component and application development, you advise companies on entering additive manufacturing. From which sector do the majority of your customers come? What challenges do they face?

The extraordinary versatility of additive manufacturing is clearly mirrored in the diverse range of our customer base, which spans across multiple industries and applications. On one hand, we collaborate extensively with clients from the design and consumer products sector. For these businesses, 3D printing unlocks unprecedented possibilities, allowing them to transform their most creative and imaginative ideas into tangible products without the traditional constraints of conventional manufacturing methods. This technology enables them to achieve economic viability even for highly customized or complex designs that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive. On the other hand, a significant portion of our clientele originates from the traditional mechanical engineering sector. These companies are actively seeking innovative approaches to design and manufacture specific components or even entire applications, aiming to enhance performance, reduce weight, or consolidate parts. Within this segment, there’s particularly strong interest in our consulting services for initiating additive manufacturing adoption. Their questions often revolve around critical decisions such as selecting the most appropriate 3D printing process, understanding material compatibility, or even evaluating the acquisition of their own additive manufacturing systems. Furthermore, a substantial number of our customers are start-ups or independent product developers. For them, 3D printing processes are invaluable due to their inherent suitability for agile product development, offering rapid prototyping capabilities that significantly accelerate their innovation cycles.

Beyond the initial prototyping phase, we frequently extend our support to guide projects through production and ultimately to market launch. For scenarios involving small batch production, additive manufacturing processes prove exceptionally cost-effective, allowing the final product to be manufactured efficiently and competitively. The fundamental challenge our customers consistently encounter is their limited, if any, prior expertise in 3D printing technology. This knowledge gap often leads to a prevailing lack of confidence among employees regarding the overall technology and its applicability for producing functional, high-performance components. Much like any advanced manufacturing process, adopting additive manufacturing necessitates a significant shift in thinking—an unlearning of conventional design rules and a willingness to abandon existing thought processes. Only by embracing this “additive thinking” can companies truly leverage the almost infinite design freedom that 3D printing offers. It is typically only under these conditions that the investment in and utilization of 3D printing processes become genuinely worthwhile and yield substantial benefits. At Süß & friends, we are dedicated to fostering this critical paradigm shift within the industry, driven by our commitment to innovative product developments and comprehensive expert guidance.

3DN: Your project “THE BRUSH” is one of the winners of the 3D Pioneers Challenge 2021. Can you tell us more about it?

The 3D Pioneers Challenge presented a compelling opportunity that resonated deeply with our team’s innovative spirit. We were particularly intrigued by the literal “challenge” aspect – the prospect of developing a complete product within an ambitious timeframe of less than three months, utilizing cutting-edge software tools and additive manufacturing techniques. During our initial brainstorming sessions, a thought-provoking question emerged: instead of always looking to reinvent the future, what if we tried to reinvent the past? This philosophical inquiry became the genesis of “THE BRUSH.”

This question naturally led me to consider designing a common household item, reimagined through the unparalleled capabilities of additive manufacturing. The brush, an object perhaps older than humanity itself, has a surprisingly ancient origin, dating back over a hundred thousand years when it was first conceived by simply tying together a few twigs. Despite its long history, has its fundamental design truly evolved significantly? Consider your everyday toothbrush, hairbrush, or dishwashing brush – are they not, at their core, still just collections of plastic bristles? This observation sparked the idea for “THE BRUSH.” Our approach involved taking a single, flexible material and, through the precise control offered by 3D printing, intricately altering its mechanical properties by forming complex natural and geometric microstructures. The revolutionary outcome is a multifunctional brush crafted from a single material, produced in a single, continuous manufacturing step—a feat solely achievable through the advanced capabilities of 3D printing. The cleaning head of “THE BRUSH” ingeniously combines a delicate, coral-like lamellar structure designed for gentle yet effective scrubbing, with an integrated absorbent sponge structure, optimized for liquid retention and uniform distribution. This dual-structure head exemplifies the material efficiency and functional integration possible with additive design.

The design sophistication extends to the handle as well. It incorporates an internal diamond lattice structure, meticulously engineered to provide optimal rigidity and ergonomic comfort, while its external cellular surface enhances grip and tactile experience. A particularly innovative feature is the integrated water connection with sealing lips, cleverly placed within the upper finger groove. When connected to a standard faucet, water is efficiently and evenly flushed through a network of internal channels directly into the cleaning head, ensuring continuous and effective cleaning. We are incredibly proud and delighted to have successfully conquered this “Challenge” and, after reaching the finals, to have secured victories in two distinct categories. This recognition serves as a powerful testament to our belief that with a truly creative approach, coupled with advanced software tools and the transformative power of 3D printing, we can rapidly conceptualize and realize entirely new, innovative products that redefine everyday objects.

3DN: What are your future plans? How do you see the future development of Süß & friends?

Looking ahead, Süß & friends is deeply immersed in several pioneering projects focused on integrating advanced methods of data creation into our comprehensive development process. This ambitious undertaking involves exploring and implementing cutting-edge disciplines such as bionics, which draws inspiration from natural designs; simulation-driven design, where performance is optimized through virtual testing; generative design, which leverages algorithms to autonomously create design alternatives; and the development of complex, freely formed geometries that are virtually unattainable with conventional CAD software. A significant challenge in this endeavor is not just developing these new technologies, but seamlessly integrating them into existing digital workflows, or adapting those workflows to fully accommodate their unique requirements. Given that many of these technologies are still relatively nascent, a substantial amount of pioneering work is necessary. Our aim is to develop robust methodologies and tools that not only push the boundaries of what’s possible with additive manufacturing but also make these sophisticated capabilities accessible and practical for a broader range of industrial applications. We envision Süß & friends continuing to lead at the forefront of additive innovation, fostering a future where design possibilities are virtually limitless and manufacturing processes are more intelligent and efficient than ever before.

3DN: Do you have any last words for our readers?

I want to emphasize a resource that, in my opinion, is often critically underestimated in the realm of additive manufacturing: the innate creativity of engineers. While we focus heavily on advanced software, materials, and machinery, it is the human element—the capacity for innovative thought and problem-solving—that truly unlocks the full potential of 3D printing. I firmly believe that to foster groundbreaking innovation, we must provide engineers with the right environment and the necessary freedom to apply their unique creativity to technical challenges. This means encouraging experimentation, embracing “additive thinking,” and allowing them to explore solutions unconstrained by traditional manufacturing limitations. When engineers are empowered to think differently and leverage their creative instincts, the possibilities for additive manufacturing become boundless, leading to truly revolutionary designs and applications. For more information about our company, Süß & friends, and our commitment to innovation, please visit our website HERE.

What are your thoughts on Süß & friends’ pioneering work and their award-winning project, “THE BRUSH”? Do you believe that “additive thinking” and empowering engineers’ creativity are the keys to unlocking the future of manufacturing? Share your insights and comments below, or engage with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Don’t miss out on the latest advancements and news in the world of 3D printing – be sure to sign up for our free weekly newsletter, delivered directly to your inbox!