It has been nearly ten years since Todd Grimm stood up on stage at TCT Present and inspired us all to ‘embrace the mundane.’ Gesturing in the direction of manufacturing aids like jigs and fixtures, and tooling, his name went in opposition to the grain of the 3D printing tasks that had been in any other case filling up keynotes within the hazy days of 2014.
Embrace it, individuals did. Slicing guides and work holding units might sound ‘boring’ however their affect has been removed from it for giant firms like Volkswagen, L’Oreal, and Heineken, which have reportedly saved substantial money and time during the last decade by printing these often-overlooked functions. However are they neglected or did the boring simply change into, nicely, regular?
Business guide Kevin Ayers believes tooling to be certainly one of AM’s most uncared for functions. As a substitute, he thinks these components ought to symbolize round a 3rd of the know-how’s functions by quantity. In keeping with the 2023 Wohlers Report, jigs and fixtures made up simply 7.4% of AM functions worldwide, whereas end-use components counted for simply over 30%. That’s nice information for the march in the direction of manufacturing functions but it surely additionally means there may be seemingly a number of low hanging fruit that simply isn’t being picked.
“Whereas we’ve got made great progress in the direction of printing [tooling, jigs and fixtures], I nonetheless see an enormous alternative,” Luis Rodriguez, Software Engineer, UltiMaker advised TCT. “I say that as a result of I assist firms, every day, uncover that 3D printing is a viable different to conventional manufacturing.”
These firms embody the likes of IME Automation, North American Lighting and ERIKS, which have every used UltiMaker’s desktop polymer methods to quickly produce parts like packaging jigs, nesting blocks and welding jigs. It was additionally UltiMaker machines that allowed Volkswagen Autoeuropa to attain 98% price and 89% time financial savings by bringing its tooling, jigs and fixtures manufacturing in-house. Although, Rodriguez says some firms face a key hurdle: they merely don’t know the place to start out.
“If an organization doesn’t commit an individual to concentrate on this a couple of hours every week then adoption won’t ever occur,” Rodriguez defined. “UltiMaker tries to make this simpler by creating an ecosystem of {hardware}, software program, supplies, and companies that simply work. We do not need engineers to waste time tweaking, we wish engineers saving time and earning money with our printers.”
One of many largest obstacles to AM adoption usually is usually utility discovery. Elementary learnings from low-risk functions like jigs, fixtures and tooling – additive design consideration, limitations, for instance – can, theoretically, be used to affect additional adoption in different areas throughout a enterprise.
“After we help firms with website scans, we concentrate on high-gain, low-complexity functions first, leaving excessive complexity or low achieve functions for final,” Rodriguez mentioned. “These are certainly low hanging fruit as a result of they’ve a huge impact in a brief period of time. Why is that this?The geometry is easier, simpler to design. The setting they function in doesn’t expose them to high-temperatures, chemical substances, or cleaners. This implies we will use customary or engineering grade supplies which might be simple to print. This permits any firm to show out the know-how, gaining confidence to deal with further areas like spare components for MRO storerooms/ device rooms or components inside end-use merchandise may even be re-designed in CAD to not solely exchange however replace and enhance their operate.”
Florian Reichle, Business Managing Director at trickle3D, a Berlin-based developer of software program options for additive manufacturing, agrees.
“We have observed a transparent pattern. As soon as an organization discovers a profitable 3D printing utility, they shortly realise broader potential for 3D printing of their operations, resulting in a ‘why did not I consider this earlier than?’ second,” Reichle advised TCT. “FDM 3D printers are getting cheaper and simpler to make use of daily, so it’s simple for the newcomer to attain ROI from day one.”
The principle problem, Reichle believes, lies within the design. To that finish, the corporate has developed software program instruments that allow customers to design their very own parts. Its fixturemate device, for instance, simplifies the design course of for customers, together with these with restricted CAD abilities, permitting them to create customized fixtures in underneath 20 minutes. The know-how has been adopted by a number of gamers in automotive and transport; Ford Motors has automated its design course of, taking design time down from 2-4 hours to 10 minutes. This represents a 95% effort discount and allows these with out CAD experience to design instruments independently. Equally, Audi, which was already utilizing 3D printing for fixture manufacturing, has reportedly been capable of design a higher variety of fixture designs for the rollout of a brand new efficiency Electrical Automobile, reducing design time for instruments by 80%.
“You might say 3D printed fixtures, jigs, and different tooling are the ‘killer app’ of 3D printing,” Reichle mentioned. “Course of simplification and correct machining are among the qualities maintained by jigs, fixtures and different instruments, and these qualities are all the time in demand.
“The advantages are clear: In comparison with conventional manufacturing, lead instances are shorter, and there’s extra management over your complete course of, main to raised productiveness. It additionally allows manufacturing workers to refine the instruments they use, bettering elements equivalent to ergonomics.”
Equally, Heineken, which trialled Ultimaker S5 printers in its Seville plant for a 12 months, was capable of scale back prices by 70- 90%, and reduce its supply time by 70- 90% by designing and changing previous components with new optimised designs. In the meantime, UltiMaker’s Methodology X and Methodology XL 3D printers have been utilized by IME Automation to provide quite a few components for its methods, together with jigs, fixtures, and finish of arm tooling. With UltiMaker’s lately launched Issue 4 system, the corporate is selecting to concentrate on mild industrial functions, wherein the corporate consists of manufacturing device and bridge components for manufacturing operations.
“Each single utility has a return on funding calculation,” Rodriguez mentioned. “For 3D printed functions we analyse lead time and value. How briskly can we print this half and the way a lot does it price to provide? When pitted in opposition to conventional manufacturing, ordering lead instances, and minimal order portions, 3D printing functions each time, particularly with low portions. We are saying that with an UltiMaker in your manufacturing ground, you have got your individual in-house manufacturing. You’re ordering from your self, getting a jig, fixture, spare half in hours vs weeks and for a fraction of the associated fee.”
The hopeful finish recreation of any typically hyped-up know-how is that it will get to a degree the place it’s so broadly accepted, it’s merely not value speaking about anymore. The phrase is out, and these functions are evidently being carried out by manufacturers large and small, however any noise or pleasure from the business nonetheless appears to favour these functions in end-use components and serial manufacturing. The AM business talks loads about maturity, and possibly jigs, fixtures and tooling have reached it. But when AM general continues to be solely scratching the floor of chance, and jigs and fixtures at the moment symbolize only a small fraction of that adoption image, new customers might danger lacking out on key low-risk, high-value alternatives that might then set additional functions in movement.
“We frequently say that complexity is free, however that doesn’t imply it needs to be difficult,” Rodriguez concluded. “Whereas there’s a time and a spot for finite aspect evaluation, topology optimisation, or generative design, the best of brackets can have an incredible affect for any manufacturing setting. Each firm, regardless of the scale or price range can not afford to have something within the manufacturing line down.”
Reichle added: “Any firm targeted on success goals to boost effectivity and cost-effectiveness, and adopting 3D printing for manufacturing tooling presents a straightforward implementation with rapid price financial savings. Whereas it would seem that these functions have pale from common dialogue, they continue to be a sizzling subject amongst fanatics and consultants.”
