Customer Profile
Founded in 1899, the Suntory Group is one of Japan’s oldest and most renowned brewing and distilling companies, producing and distributing alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, and health and wellness products globally. Unlike many in the industry, Suntory operates its own in-house concept design department, responsible for developing and refining bottle designs before mass production.
Challenges
Suntory’s traditional bottle design and mold-making process was time-consuming and restrictive. After a concept was finalized, it could take 6 to 9 months to begin production due to the reliance on externally sourced aluminum molds. This long lead time often forced the team to abandon creative ideas that couldn’t meet market deadlines.
Additionally, producing complex yet lightweight bottle designs became increasingly difficult. Attempts to shorten lead times through computer simulations and cutting machines proved unsatisfactory, lacking the precision and visual quality required for premium bottle molds.
Solutions
Suntory turned to Stratasys PolyJet technology to produce in-house resin molds. This approach provided the speed, surface smoothness, and material versatility needed to replicate high-quality bottle appearances. By transitioning to 3D printed molds, Suntory reduced mold creation from 1.5 months to just three days, enabling rapid trial production and more frequent design evaluations. The shift also encouraged cross-department collaboration, with package engineers trained in 3D CAD to communicate more effectively with designers during the evaluation process.
Impact
The adoption of 3D printing technology has transformed Suntory’s product development cycle, enabling faster prototyping, improved design accuracy, and greater creative freedom. The ability to test multiple design iterations within days rather than months has accelerated innovation and reduced costs. As a result, other divisions across the Suntory Group—including Beam Suntory (USA) and Orangina Schweppes (Europe) plan to adopt the same technology. Suntory now aims to expand 3D printing applications to its alcoholic beverage divisions and tooling production, reinforcing its commitment to efficiency, sustainability, and design excellence.
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