Columbia Elektronik AB: Onyx ESD Testing Fixtures

Columbia Elektronik AB is a Swedish manufacturer of complete test-fixturing solutions for the Nordic electronics industry. The company has seen a steady increase in demand for ESD-safe materials over the years due to the changing manufacturing landscape and rise in the need for more complex electronics. Columbia Elektronik — like many businesses — is looking for reduced labor hours, reduced costs, and the ability to continuously improve its products.

Test snap-fit fixtures pictured hold electronic components in place during testing. Previously, the team would either machine these fixtures or outsource 3D printed ESD-safe parts. Neither was a perfect solution — machining the parts in-house limited geometric freedom and used internal machinist time, while third-party 3D printed ESD-safe parts had a poor surface quality and dimensional accuracy. Columbia Elektronik now has the opportunity to use Markforged Onyx ESD, which will allow them to seamlessly manufacture complex parts. They were also able to save their customers both time and effort when using their product by improving functionality enabled by the freedom of additive manufacturing. Columbia Elektronik designed the 3D printed Onyx ESD fixtures in one piece instead of two, eliminating the need for additional assembly time or tooling. The team was also impressed by the cost reduction and the sleek surface finish of the fixture parts, straight off the print bed. “Now with Onyx ESD, we will be able to print high-strength ESD-safe parts on-demand that is customer-ready. With Markforged Onyx ESD, engineers and designers at Columbia Elektronik will finally have the tools they need to meet rising demands in their industry,” says Christer Lang, Design Engineer at Columbia Elektronik AB.

 

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Nikola Corporation invests in BigRep PRO to streamline the manufacturing processes in Heavy-Duty Trucking

Nikola Corporation, a technology disruptor and integrator working to develop innovative energy and transportation solutions, has invested in the BigRep PRO, a large-format FFF additive manufacturing system, to streamline the design and manufacturing processes of their zero-emission battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles, electric vehicle drivetrains, vehicle components, energy storage systems, and hydrogen station infrastructure.

BigRep, the global leader in large-format additive manufacturing (AM) technology and solutions (FFF segment) is renowned for developing next-generation, German-engineered AM systems like the BigRep PRO. Specializing in industrial solutions for innovative manufacturers like Nikola and advanced AM applications, BigRep and Nikola are an ideal match based on their reputation for delivering innovative technologies.

Download the e-Book to know how BigRep PRO helped Nikola Corp to streamline the design and manufacturing processes of their zero-emission battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles.

 

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Caldwell Manufacturing – Adopting Additive Manufacturing Throughout the Organization

The Customer

Caldwell Manufacturing is a global window and door hardware manufacturer based in upstate New York. “We’re an integrated supply partner,” says Caldwell Manufacturing CEO, Eric Mertz. “The springs that hold a window or door open, the hardware, the locks, the latches, all the mechanical hardware that makes a window or door operate, that’s what we’re focused on.”

The company was founded in 1888 and spent the first of its years as a hardware manufacturing company. In the 1920s, the company diversified into building-related products. Caldwell now ships to thousands of customers in 70 different countries and has factories in the US, UK, India, and Mexico. The team is responsible for everything from design ideation to final product — they develop and commercialize Caldwell’s components while simultaneously creating injection moulds, springs, and more.

The Challenge

For any piece of the window or door hardware they make, the team at Caldwell also needs to make holding fixtures, assembly fixtures, and error-proofing fixtures — which were all designed in-house and cut from steel through a third-party supplier. The internal tooling often took up to eight weeks to design and develop, and certain components had to be sourced from overseas, which led to product development cycles of anywhere between 6-12 months.

A single job would require people to look for outside quotes or internal tool room quotes, and any changes to internal tooling were time-consuming and expensive, so improvements needed to be significant to justify. ”Sometimes businesses just end up layered with bureaucracy,” says Mertz. “And one of the reasons people leave their jobs is because they don’t feel connected. They don’t feel they’ve got the authority and the resources to do their job.”

In the company’s strategic planning meeting in 2010, the executives looked at what kind of technologies were going to be disruptive and unanimously agreed that 3D printing would be the key to their success. In 2014, Caldwell purchased its first FDM plastic 3D printer. “3D printing was a technology that we were watching for a couple of years,” says Mertz. “And as its price points come down, it’s one of those things that encouraged the buying decision.” Initially, the printer was brought in for rapid prototyping, but the team quickly realized that the printer was only able to help them evaluate form and fit, but not function.

“We wanted to put the control within our own hands to allow for quicker iterations on our product development.”

— Rick deNormand, Product Engineering Manager, Caldwell Manufacturing

Many of the parts Caldwell Manufacturing needed were made out of metal, and the team found plastic 3D printer filament was not adequate to use when testing the strength of their parts. “The plastic 3D printer that we onboarded really resolved much of our external prototyping needs for plastic parts,” says Rick deNormand, Product Engineering Manager at Caldwell. “But what we really needed was to explore and to introduce metal 3D printing as well.” Selective laser melting (SLM) metal 3D printers didn’t fit the need of the organization, as the use of powder was too difficult to handle and the cost to bring it in was too high. The team set to work looking for the optimal solution: an affordable filament-based metal 3D printer that could easily be used within the facility.

 

Download the PDF to know how Markforged 3D printing technology saved Caldwell Manufacturing’s time and money by 3D printing tools, and prototypes using metal 3D printing technology.

 

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RPG Industries Reverse-Engineering Automotive Parts Using Markforged Metal 3D Printers

The Customer

RPG Industries is a full-service manufacturer working with automotive, aerospace, and oil industry clients. Started in 1995, the company primarily offers EDM, CNC machining, waterjet cutting, and additive manufacturing services.

The Challenge

Robert Ginsburg, President of RPG Industries, continuously looks for ways to stay at the cutting edge in a saturated industry, expand the business, and bring new capabilities in-house for his customers. One such customer — D&D Classic Automotive Restoration — was restoring a 1930s classic car when they found that one of the original carburettors was broken. They conducted a worldwide search for a replacement part but were unable to locate one. D&D then attempted to repair the existing part; however, the original could not be welded or brazed due to the need for air- and watertight seal. “If you were to try to machine this part from scratch, it would be cost-prohibitive,” says Ginsburg. “The detail, intricacy, and the internals of the component make it nearly impossible, and the machine part will never look as good as the original.”

 

Download the PDF to know how Markforged 3D printing technology saved the RPG Industry’s time and money by 3D printing automotive parts using metal 3D printing technology.

 

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Kawasaki 3D Printed Tooling with BigRep Large Format Additive Manufacturing

Learn how Kawasaki Motors Corp.’s Lincoln, USA manufacturing facility saved up to 85% of costs on production tooling by optimizing automotive and aerospace production with BigRep’s large-format additive manufacturing systems.

Kawasaki wasn’t a stranger to 3D printing before diving into large-format with their BigRep, and their wealth of experience with advanced manufacturing equipment helped inform their purchase. By opting to invest in their own facility instead of depending on outsourced parts and production tooling, Kawasaki brought supply chains in house, streamlined engineering and logistical workflows, and returned their investment in just 6 months.

Read this large-format additive guide to find out…

• How in-house supply chains create incredible savings on production tooling
• Why automotive engineers trust BigRep’s AM materials in their manufacturing processes
• How on-demand additive can quickly solve unexpected production bottlenecks
• How large-format 3D printers bring added value to manufacturing and research facilities

 

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Siemens Gas & Power Utilizing Markforged Technology to Print Strong and Stiff Fixtures

Siemens Energy manufactures world-class gas turbines for industrial power generation and mechanical drive applications. Used for a variety of applications, including turn-key power station projects, Siemens power systems are frequently tailored for each customer project. One such area of customization is the fuel type used to power the gas turbine.

Siemens is also a pioneer in the field of additive manufacturing and has been driving its industrialization for over a decade. In 2012, they opened their first designated 3D printing workshop for serial manufacturing, repairs, and prototyping of metal components. The workshop is located in Finspång, Sweden, as an integral part of the gas turbine manufacturing business.

The Challenge

Recently the Siemens engineers in Finspång began 3D printing a specially designed fuel injector nozzle to react quickly to customers’ customization requirements. They found that conventional methods of manufacturing were hindering the team from achieving higher customer benefits.

By additively manufacturing the fuel injector nozzles, the engineers were able to fabricate high-performing, complex parts faster than before. However, they also realized that the more intricate the 3D printed custom nozzles became, so too did the post-production machining. The necessary support structure required to 3D print the nozzle had to be milled away afterwards and a special fixture had to be designed to do this. Conventional tooling could not reliably hold the nozzles without causing damage due to the thin, geometrically obscure nature of the nozzle walls. To outsource the geometrically complex, custom tooling would drive up lead time significantly.

From concept to print, download the PDF to know how Markforged 3D printing technology saved Siemens Gas & Power’s 10% of the time compared to fabricating a conventional machined fixture.

 

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Guhring UK – Opening Up New Revenue Streams with Additive Manufacturing

The scientific hardware industry has long been an expensive one to participate in, leading to costly, outdated equipment. Neurophotometrics, based in California, designed a device that uses optical tools to record brain activity from a freely moving animal.

The Challenge

Sage Aronson, CEO and Founder of Neurophotometrics, wanted to ensure his device could be entirely customizable and accessible for scientists around the world, but this was not an option with traditional manufacturing methods. “Our longer-term goal is to disrupt the scientific hardware industry,” says Aronson.

Download the PDF to know how the Markforged 3D printing technology is disrupting the scientific hardware industry

 

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Garry Rogers Motorsport – Improving Race Car Performance with Markforged Technology

Garry Rogers Motorsport is Australia’s oldest motorsport team, securing wins in the nation’s Supercars Championship, Dunlop Super2 Series, and Bathurst 1000. The company has a team of nearly 40, with a focus on designing, building, and maintaining its own vehicles.

The Challenge

While their in-house workshop can do some manual machining and composites fabrication, they do not have CNC machining capability. The team would instead turn to third parties each time they needed several low-volume complex parts, but the turnaround time was not fast enough and was cost-prohibitive. The more time spent outsourcing parts, the slower the R&D process — meaning the team had less time to focus on finding ways to improve their cars’ performance — both on the race track and in the pit during pit stops.

Engineers and designers at Garry Rogers Motorsport use Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software to test the airflow of their parts. The software often recommends changes in a part’s design to increase speed and improve overall performance, which can result in extremely complex parts — something the team can’t create using any other method. This challenge, coupled with the high costs and long lead times of adding extra details to a part’s design, resulted in engineers and designers shying away from making iterations on parts that required complex designs.

Download the PDF to know how the Garry Rogers Motorsport is utilizing Markforged 3D printing technology to save time and cost in the production of end-use-parts

 

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Guhring UK – Opening Up New Revenue Streams with Additive Manufacturing

Founded in 1973, Guhring UK — the Birmingham-based subsidiary of the Guhring Group — manufactures precision cutting tools. The company began as a stockholder of the more standardized cutting and milling tools. Today Guhring UK manufactures bespoke cutting and milling tools for some of the world’s largest companies, including BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Airbus, and BAE Systems. Guhring’s expertise in manufacturing carbide and polycrystalline diamond (PCD) cutting tools is world-renowned. Their range of PCD tools are made-to-order to suit customer requirements and are manufactured by brazing ultra high-hardness industrial-grade diamond cutting tips onto bespoke hardened tool steel bodies.

The Challenge

Each piece of special tooling Guhring UK makes needs to first be designed and approved by the customer. Depending on the size and complexity of the component, special tooling can take up to eight weeks to design, test, and manufacture in-house — and the work can’t even start on the tool until the design is approved. Smaller manufacturers with less volume can’t justify the costs or lead time for special tools.

“As we started looking at supplying smaller volume customers, it became an issue,” says Alan Pearce, PCD Production Supervisor at Guhring UK. This led the company to look into additive manufacturing as an option to open up new revenue streams, reduce lead times for existing ones, and manage timelines for smaller customers.

Download the PDF to know how the Guhring UK is utilizing Markforged 3D printing technology to save time and cost in the production of tooling

 

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Siemens Energy Innovation Center Using Markforged 3D Printers to Produce Powerful & Durable Tools

Siemens Energy is the global energy business of the Siemens group and offers a comprehensive portfolio of technology as well as digital and traditional services for utilities, independent power producers, transmission system operators, the oil and gas industry, and other energy-intensive industries. In support of its energy operations, the company recently opened the Siemens Innovation Center in Orlando, Florida. It is the only one of its kind in the U.S. to offer a unique pairing of design with manufacturing, implementing robotics, rapid prototyping, scanning, digital tools and on-site metal additive manufacturing. The Siemens innovation center focuses on rapid problem solving supporting the company’s energy businesses.

The Challenge

Siemens supports its customers worldwide with robust service and maintenance operations. Many routine service and maintenance tasks can be carried out on-site, or remotely using digital tools, but more intensive repairs can sometimes require a turbine to be shipped to a Siemens repair facility. This can result in increased downtime and extend a planned outage, time in which the turbine is not operating.

With Siemens supporting many of the world’s highest-performing compression stations, power plants, and refineries, taking a turbine offline for multiple weeks is certainly not desirable and so any process that can reduce that downtime is welcome.

Download the PDF to know how Siemens Energy Innovation Center is utilizing Markforged 3D printing technology to produce high-quality tools.

 

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