Nov.3, 2014
Astronomy isn't just for research centers. There are thousands of passionate amateur astronomers, who are looking for high quality stargazing equipment. France-based company Pierro Astro has been developing and offering astronomical equipment and solutions for the astro-photography since 2006.
CEO of Pierro Astro explained the company's strategy, "We produce and sell telescopes, astronomic glasses and accessories that allow users to observe and take pictures of planets, stars, nebulas and galaxies". Their goal is to simplify astronomy, and they do this by providing affordable and on-demand products and services to meet very specific needs.
In fact they're more than just an astronomy shop, they're more an astronomy experience. In order to provide these customized products, Pierro Astro quickly turned to 3D printing.
"The first time we used additive manufacturing, we were working on a high precision focus Cassegrain reflector. The quality of the 3D printed components was perfect for our product". said Franquet.
3D Printing is the best solution to produce small batches of pieces that are both functional and affordable. It's easy to manufacture just one unit while using additive manufacturing, whereas plastic molding requires producing a large quantity of units to become financially attractive. For Pierro Astro, French 3D printing company Sculpteo's Batch Control tool were a good solution for producing peculiar pieces.
Batch Control allows the company to reduce its unit price; with a reduction range up to 80% when the tool is activated. Customers can also choose more precise printing definition, and more polished finishes.
These are ideal for Pierro Astro to conceive, prototype, and test the product in a really effective way. It takes now a few weeks to develop a new affordable solutions for amateurs with 3D Printing, whereas traditional manufacturing requires months, and far larger expenses.
Sculpteo's polyamide materials and finishing options turned out to be the best option for Pierro Astro's particular needs. Polyamide is made from a nylon powder, which is sintered together layer by layer in a process called Selective Laser Sintering or SLS. Sculpteo uses 3D printers from EOS Formiga P100, P110, P395, and P730, to produce items with extremely high resolution. These printers can print objects with a layer precision of 100 - 60 μm, with the 60μm option available when Batch Control is activated.
As Pierro Astro explains, once you have tried 3D printing, it's hard to go back to traditional manufacturing. "It's our first try with 3D Printing, but we have many more projects to come using this revolutionary producing method".
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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