![]() The FDM process has a rougher surface finish compared to injection molding.While increased automation is letting 3D printing compete with injection molding on larger orders, there are limitations such as: Along with the advantages of an iterative design process and free complexity, the Demonstrator makes additive a serious contender pricewise with injection molding for low-volume and bridge-to-production runs.” “The Demonstrator allows customers to reap the time and cost benefits of repeatable and constant 3D printing. With the Continuous Build 3D Demonstrator, that number goes way up to around 1,500 to 2,000 parts” says Rich Stump, principal and co-founder of FATHOM. “In the past, we would typically switch from 3D printing to injection molding when an order hit 300 to 400 parts. With the software, multiple jobs print can in parallel without downtime, there are no tooling changeovers, and the inventory supply chain is nearly non-existent. If you need to increase production, it’s simple to expand by adding more stacks. “With the nine machines we have, we can produce 1,500 parts per day,” says Mark Neilson, CEO of In’Tech. The FDM also eliminates some processes, like curing, which is needed for SLA parts. This machine doesn’t have to stop between parts or between jobs. Each printer is able to communicate in real time. The Stratasys Demonstrator helps increase print capacity for 3D printers. The film is then cut, leaving a new sheet covering the print bed, and the finished part falls into a bin. When a part is finished, the film slides the part out of the printer. They print continuously by using a film of plastic that sits on top of the print bed. This is a stack of three scalable, fused-deposition-modeling (FDM) printers, one on top of the other. Stratasys has experience in manufacturing cost-effective parts, and recently teamed up with Desktop Metal to launch the Demonstrator. Multiple parts are 3D-printed, such as the housing for the T25 sensor that provides pressure and temperature measurements for the engine’s control system (Courtesy of CFM International). The LEAP engine from GE will have 19 3D-printed fuel nozzles. But what about regular low-cost parts, which aren’t so constrained by weight? Many of these manufacturers are also in transportation, where reducing weight is imperative. However, these are Tier One manufacturers, and often the parts are high-end, high-cost parts. Next year, for example, Airbus plans on producing 30 tons of 3D-printed parts a month. Some companies, such as Boeing, Sikorsky, Airbus, and Ford, are already using 3D printing in a way that can be considered mass production. Through automation, which is the focus of this article.Reducing post-processing by eliminating support structures or having support structures dissolve away easily.Reducing or changing fill or reducing fill tolerances so that the printer will print faster on the areas where tolerance isn’t a concern.Nesting parts-if it’s possible with the process.Combining multiple parts into one to reduce or eliminate assembly time.Some of the ways companies are making this happen include: Open new revenue streams by offering customization.Produce complex geometries that aren’t possible in other processes.Do lightweighting 3D printing allows the ability to change the fill of parts from almost fully dense, to no fill at all. ![]() Make faster iterations or modifications to prototypes and/or parts.For manufacturers, this means gaining the ability to: It is important to point out the benefits of accelerating 3D printing. These companies are increasing the ROI of 3D printing and capturing more market share from traditional processes. Recently, Formlabs and Stratasys each released new machines that will automate the entire 3D-printing process. Some companies have been increasing this number over time. But when the amount of parts reaches a certain number, the return on investment (ROI) starts to move toward more traditional processes, such as injection molding. Anyone keeping up with 3D printing will probably say it’s great for prototyping and some end-use parts.
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