Oct.17, 2013
German company Robert Seuffer (Seuffer), a supplier of parts for household appliances and commercial vehicles, has incorporated 3D printing in its manufacturing process to significantly reduce the time and cost of producing injection molded sample parts.
The injection molding process is used by manufacturers all over the world to produce parts in a variety of materials, most commonly thermoplastics. Prototype parts are required to evaluate the part design for performance and fit before mass production.
Always on the look out for new technologies that will improve efficiency and profitability, Seuffer adopted 3D printing to produce injection molding tools.
"Working with the automotive industry, sample parts need to be tested in the environment of moving mechanical parts as well as in high temperature environments," explained Andreas Buchholz, Head of Research and Development at Seuffer.
Using 3D printing technology from Stratasys, Seuffer designed first drafts of the injection mold within a few days and 3D printed them in less than 24 hours for part evaluation. "Traditionally, it would take eight weeks to manufacture the tool in metal using the conventional CNC process. And while the conventional tool costs us about 40,000 euros, the 3D printed tool is less than 1000 euros, a saving of 97%." said Buchholz.
A 3D printed tool side by side with a conventional CNC milled tool
Seuffer also produces 3D printed molds for its hot melt process. These molds, which are used to overmold low melting point polyamide over electronic circuit boards, are created with Stratasys' rigid, opaque Vero materials.
"Companies worldwide are looking to introduce significant efficiencies to their manufacturing processes when introducing new products, and are discovering the many benefits of additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing," said Andy Middleton, General Manager, Stratasys EMEA at Stratasys. "More and more manufacturers are adopting 3D printed tools as a complimentary injection molding solution - not only to cost-effectively test products before mass production, but also to produce customized parts."
In this short video below you will see how 3D printed tools are helping Seuffer revolutionize product design and manufacturing.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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