In the era of Industry 4.0, enterprises large and small implement 3D Printing in order to decrease their product development cycle and optimize their go-to-market strategy. 

The use of FFF/FDM technology is often one of the most efficient, versatile and cost-effective technologies in the production of functional prototypes, tooling and final parts. 

3D Printing is one of the fastest ways to make prototypes, including those with complex geometries and with high performance/strength requirements. This is our specialty.

How are companies implementing industrial 3D technology into their product development and production processes? See real-world examples below!

Industry: Plastic Processing

Geo Globe uses 3D printers to produce prototypes of transportation trays that are eventually used to secure the finished parts during the production process. The time of prototype creation plays a key role in the execution of the order for the end customer.

Creation of 3D printed prototypes allows to speed-up the programming process of industrial robots located at production lines. The implementation time of a new car production line was reduced by three weeks due to our 3DGence INDUSTRY F340 Industrial 3D printer. In this case, 3D printing replaced conventional machining.

Industry: Electrotechnics

Emtel, a medical equipment supplier created a new patient monitor model casing with the use of 3DGence 3D printing technology. Project verification was possible through the installation of target components in the 3D printed casing.

The final details obtained with the use of injection technology did not require any corrections. This allowed for the fast creation of the injection mold production documentation.

The production process of models and prior prototypes made by external enterprises typically took one month. The prototype of the patient monitor was received in 5 days, which reduced lead time by 25 days.

Industry: Industrial Machine Manufacturing

AMS-systems specializes in machine design and manufacturing. The company uses 3DGence 3D printers in its daily development to create housings for collection verification sensors. The optimization of the sensor assembly and improvement of Pick-to-Light sensor stability are the main goals for these 3D printed housings. Pick-to-Light systems are final mounted in production stages.

The thread of the housing element was often incorrectly produced by external companies which caused problems with detailed fitting. This caused customer complaints and additional replacement costs. 3D printing allowed for rapid verification and production – and the final 3D printed Housing improved the sensor’s stability while increasing mechanical strength.

Shortening the time of machine completion with the use of 3D printers made it feasible to fulfill the order to the customer 7 days faster.

Industry: Automotive

Bocar, a manufacturer of fire-fighting vehicles, used the 3DGence INDUSTRY F340 to produce a life-size 3D model of a heavy-duty engine manifold in 1:1 scale. The company needed to verify the ergonomics, functionality, and durability of this prototype in a live assembly.

During the process of rapid prototyping, it is still difficult to obtain an impeccable simulation prototype, especially in terms of ergonomics. With the 3DGence Industry F340 3D Printer, Bocar is capable of preparing models that are identical to final production parts. The use of industrial-grade 3D printing technology makes it possible for different departments of the company to introduce particular changes, even during the early design stages and provides a range of materials across strengths and temperatures.

Industry: Aerospace

MB Aerospace is a manufacturer of aircraft engine components. The company uses 3D printers daily to rapidly-produce expansion sleeves for lathe tools, which are used for fastening aircraft parts during machining.

Production of parts and prototypes on CNC machines is often associated with high costs and long project implementation processes. Utilization of 3D printing technology helped the company to reduce production costs and speed up the production of the necessary parts.

MB also uses 3D printing in the testing phase of new solutions. Before initiating projects on new development component tooling, 3D printed prototypes are created, and machining tests are then performed on CNC machines. Utilizing 3D printing prototypes allows the R&D team to test the kinematics and effects on machine operation. Once the individual component has been printed and tested, the entire process and machine operation is calibrated – significantly reducing the risk of inaccurate settings.

Industry: Heavy Machinery

FAMUR Group is a producer of machinery applied in extractive industries. Life-size machines can weigh several tons and creating prototypes is a large undertaking. In a recent development of a new machine, FAMUR elected to utilize the 3DGence Industry F340 to 3D print eight life-sized prototype models using cost-effective professional grade ABS plastic material. Further post-processing of the 3D models was smoothed and painted.

The 3DGence INDUSTRY F340 made it possible to print light, solid and precise mock-ups. The combination of 3D printing with an RFID reader allows displaying the machine specifications.

The use of 3D printing for industrial mock-ups is the most cost-effective solution that allows companies to present life-sized prototype machines to customers or investors.

Industry: Motorsport/Automotive

AGH Racing is a student research group designing and developing award-winning Formula Student e-racing cars.

For the vehicle part production, the AGH design team puts the 3DGence INDUSTRY F340 to work. Recent development of a steering knuckle, that is an integral part of the suspension and responsiveness of the racing car, was quickly prototyped and 3D printed in professional-grade ABS.

The 3D printout was used to examine the design topology and functionality of the steering knuckle. The primary goals were to reduce the weight and increase the stiffness of the element.

Steering knuckles are typically made of aluminum by milling. The introduction of significant changes in the geometry of the part made it near impossible for such a complex shape to be subjected to conventional machining. 3D printing enabled students to obtain a prototype of a knuckle with complex geometry in just 2 days at a very low cost.

Industry: Robotic Engineering

AJmaker provides components for mobile robots. The company launched a new model of Mecanum Wheels, which are an essential part of mobile robots. During prototyping and testing, they used 3D printers provided by 3DGence to develop their final test prototypes.

The possibility of easy and ongoing verification of individual stages of the project is very important during the product development cycle. Errors in the early stage of prototyping can cause major delays downstream in the tooling stages. In the case of making prototypes with other conventional technologies, the cost was several times higher due to the complicated geometry: the wheel consists of as many as 12 elements – 9 of which are made of rubber.

With 3D printing technology, they were able to verify and improve the designed wheel model – and thereby introduce new product extremely fast, in more efficient and optimized development timeframe and cost base.

Industry: Manufacturing (Jigs & Fixtures)

Pure Power Sources is manufacturer of plastic mold dies, which are utilized as elements of production lines. All dies that are used to base or inspect the products on the line are currently made with 3DGence 3D printers.

Before buying a professional FFF 3D Printer, the company faced several challenges. In the case of die plates, it had a very strong competition using similar technologies and therefore offering products at similar prices. On the other hand, prototypes of elastomeric parts were made on milling machines, which was expensive, and required using machines that should be used for production orders.

The investment in 3D printing turned out to be an ideal solution. Today, the company prints durable and damage resistant dies with complex geometry to speed up their development and production processes.

Industry: Commercial Drone

FPV uses 3DGence 3D printing technology to produce housing components for its drones. The company made a housing for an aerial vehicle to protect the parts inside the drone body from mechanical damage. Due to the small series of production, the engineers determined that making the housing with conventional technologies would not be time or cost-effective.

The housing was 3D printed with the use of material reinforced with carbon fiber, resulting in significantly stronger rigidity and durability of the part. The 3D print was chosen due to its lightweight and high-strength construction. The company could then easily mount the camera, LED indicator lights, and the alarm. The prototype, therefore, passed the impact test with flying colors.