Case Study: Samsonite Europe achieves faster product development and streamlined production with Materialise

10 Years of 3D Printing at Samsonite Innovation from Design to the Production Line

Samsonite Europe, the hard-shell suitcase division based in Oudenaarde, faced the challenge of rapidly developing lightweight, durable, user-friendly designs while avoiding expensive injection-mold mistakes. To validate complex new components and speed time-to-market, Samsonite relies on Materialise for 3D printing services—using visual and functional prototypes as well as production tools—instead of building an in-house AM facility.

Materialise delivers additive manufacturing for prototyping and on-line tooling (including PA 12 carriers and DuraForm Flex sleeves), supplying about 100–150 digital parts per week and some 50–60 jigs in operation. That partnership has eliminated assembly steps (a custom 3D-printed gripper removes a sorting operation), reduced part weight, integrated pneumatic channels to cut downtime, and prevented costly mold changes or wasted molds worth hundreds of thousands of euros—accelerating iterations and improving production efficiency.

Samsonite Europe

Vivien Cheng

Head of Product Development