Faster Design, Modification and Production
The Manufacturing industry are utilising 3D printing in a wide range of applications. They are supporting lean manufacturing strategies by 3D Printing their manufacturing tools on demand. These custom tools that are printed directly from CAD can be ready for use in as little as a day.
Stratasys & Desktop Metal 3D Printers are helping empower manufacturers to reduce investment and part costs, maximise assembly line efficiency, reduce the weight of product tools and helps you stay one step ahead of industry challenges.
Manufacturers are using 3D Printing for several manufacturing applications such as:
Manufacturing Aids
Manufacturers rely heavily on highly customised manufacturing aids like jigs and fixtures to ensure quality, efficiency and worker safety. 3D printing manufacturing aids streamlines and enhances the production of these tools, resulting in greater productivity and better ergonomics.
Composite Tooling
The use of FDM for composite tooling has demonstrated considerable cost and lead time reductions whilst providing greater design freedom and more rapid iteration, regardless of part complexity. 3D printing composite tooling provides disruptive value to composite part manufacturers and enables innovation.
Injection Molding
Injection Molding is the most widely used manufacturing process for plastics. Utilising Stratasys PolyJet technology injection molds can be quickly produced to evaluate prototype parts or produce low volumes of end use parts.
Mold Tooling
With Stratasys thermoplastics and polymers, molds can be quickly produced to evaluate prototype parts or produce low volumes of end use parts. 3D printing mold tools is especially useful to test the design, fit and function of products before mass production.
Casting Patterns
Stratasys FDM & PolyJet technologies and materials produce innovative casting patterns that provide consistency and quality in cast components, both in terms of prototyping and low volume production.
Forming Tools
Using production-grade FDM thermoplastics, 3D printed forming tools can get you from tool design to production in as little as a week. Many tools can be 3D printed in less than 24 hours with no human interaction.
See below some case studies where customers have utilised 3D printing for their manufacturing needs:
GKN utilises 3D printing for their tool production
Lestercast utilises PolyJet for custom fixtures & nesting blocks
For more info, contact our sales team on 01782 814551 or email [email protected]