The last few years have seen a fundamental shift in how tooling is produced: leading manufacturers from Volkswagen to Boeing, Jaguar, and others have seen the benefits of 3D printing as a means of toolmaking, so how can the 3D printing process help What about the manufacturer?
The benefits of Tooling and fixtures are critical to optimizing the manufacturing process
►Reduce waste;
►Improve process accuracy and repeatability;
►Reduced skill level required (operating jigs and fixtures);
►Improve productivity;
Why are more and more manufacturers adopting 3D printing?
1. Delivery cycle
A key advantage of 3D printing is that the production speed of parts is faster than that of traditional processing. 3D printing only needs to upload a 3D drawing model, and your part may be printed within a few hours, but this also depends on the shape and size of the part. size.
Real-life examples are numerous: Volkswagen Europe has reported 89% time savings by 3D printing jigs and fixtures; research conducted by global 3D printing giant Stratasys tells a similar story: 3D printing tooling and jigs can lead to lead times Reduce up to 90%.
The speed at which 3D printing can produce fixtures means that designs can be iterated many times in a short period of time, facilitating faster product development. It also means engineers don't have to endure protracted development and delivery cycles, and they have the freedom, flexibility, and speed to integrate design changes into the production process.
2. Reduce costs
In addition to saving time, the 3D printing service provider, Ruixian Technology, is more willing to cooperate with industrial customers. With the development of materials and domestic equipment, the cost of printing production has been greatly reduced compared with the previous one, and it also meets manufacturers' expectations for cost.
3D printing can realize on-demand manufacturing, and the required spare parts or tools can be produced when needed, so this also presents another way for manufacturers to reduce inventory costs.
Finally, because 3D printing is an additive manufacturing process, rather than a subtractive process in the traditional sense, production manufacturers can easily minimize material waste and thus reduce material costs.
3. Improved ergonomics
Since jigs and tooling are handled by workers on the production floor, making lightweight parts that are easy to handle should be one of the top priorities for manufacturers. With the development of 3D printing technology and lightweight design software, the combination of 3D printing and lightweight design has become a trend, which also means that workers in production workshops are more convenient to operate and use.
Bob Heath, the applications engineer at ECKHART, a provider of advanced industrial solutions, said the harsh assembly environment and repetitive tasks were very onerous for employees, and designing and producing more ergonomic tools was the main reason they chose the 3D printing process. one.
The company continues to enhance the ergonomics of 3D printed tools by incorporating end-user feedback while making tasks lighter, safer, more repeatable, and more accurate for workers on the assembly line. For an assembler, for example, every 45 seconds it's necessary to install a wiper blade on a new car entering a station, so they worked with a 3D printing service to develop a 3D printed jig that is positioned on the outside of the wiper motor body, assists the operator by sucking the tool onto the vehicle windshield.
The firm hold position created by the new fixture allows assemblers to install wiper blades consistently and drastically reduces rework and quality issues for downstream jobs.
4. More types of materials
From plastics and metals to rubber and wax, there are many materials to choose from for 3D printing. As the additive manufacturing industry develops, more composite materials with mechanical properties will be added every year, such as chemical and heat resistant, Or UV stabilized.
One of the most important implications of fixtures and tooling is the development of high-performance materials such as PEKK or ULTEM and composites, which allow the manufacture of strong, lightweight tool parts with enhanced mechanical properties.
5. Simplify the complexity
3D printing can help improve tooling and fixture usage and reduce product maintenance costs by providing an easier way to complete new or improved designs. For example, 3D printing can combine components separated during processing to design a molding, which not only simplifies the assembly process but also minimizes the gap to avoid the accumulation of dust and debris.
6. Customized production
3D printing facilitates customized production on a live basis, making it easy to manufacture complex structural parts that are difficult to achieve with traditional processes. For example, in the medical field: 3D printing has been widely used in preoperative planning, reducing operation time, improving surgical accuracy, and providing patients with a better experience.
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