Crevoice voted for AM Printservice
Torbjörn Pettersson, the founder of Crevoice, turned his attention to using local small businesses to further develop his invention, the speaker vest. The speaker, which has been around since 1989, is sold to a wide range of businesses. AM Printservice is one of the local companies that makes parts for the Crevoice speaker.
Facing problems can be an obstacle for many - for others it's an opportunity for development. Torbjörn Pettersson even has a word for this - the Torbjörn effect.
I have always been something of a problem solver. Circumventing obstacles to get ahead is fun and exciting and a big part of how I invent," says Torbjörn.
The speaker came about when Torbjörn received an order for a mobile speaker solution from SKB Svensk kärnbränslehantering in Oskarshamn. They needed it for their guides in a noisy and difficult environment. The acoustics were poor and thanks to the speaker vest, everyone could hear the information. This was in 1989 and the first speaker saw the light of day in Sweden. As sales increased, further development went on to the US and China. Today it is back in Sweden and locally in Västervik.
The speaker housing itself, which has replaced the vest, has been printed at AM Printservice in Västervik since 2019 and the amplifier part by IL-elektronik, another Västervik company. The proximity to the service bureau has meant that refinements and improvements to the product have been quick and that dialogue has been maintained on site, which has simplified the work considerably. Injection moulding, which would have been the other option, would have been cheaper once the mould was set, but with Multi Jet Fusion the speaker housing is much more attractive, easier to improve and can also be ordered a´la carte.
Being able to test out a good solution and not having to order thousands of the product that I then have to stock has made it more cost-effective for me. I can order the exact amount that I sell and have it in place within a reasonable time," Torbjörn explains.
Torbjörn can pat himself on the back for many major and minor inventions. The speaker that he builds by hand has been used in London during the Olympics, in numerous city tours around Sweden and in countless tours and presentations at companies.
It works wirelessly and can be connected to large speaker systems and even satellite dishes if you want," says Torbjörn.
The technology he uses is carefully developed and, thanks to Torbjörn's background as a hearing care technician, very effective.
I know how we as humans take in information and how we listen and hear, so it has definitely been a good help on the way to the best solution," he says.
For AM Printservice, this means another chance to develop products in collaboration with the customer, but also gives the company proof that 3D printing and then powder bed technology has a broad market. Everything from multinational corporations to smaller businesses can benefit from the service.
I think it has been a successful combination of development and co-operation between local actors. This is both environmentally friendly and cost-effective," says Torbjörn Pettersson.
Mirjam Schackenborg
