10 — AM Supplement
F E A T U R E
By Christina Fuges
A
drive to provide customers with true veloc-
ity and superior value put Currier Plastics
on the road to investing in 3D printing, and
this technology has supported this philosophy for
every aspect of product realization. However, the
journey is laden with lessons learned.
Since 1982, Currier has been a custom molder
for industries including plastics packaging, beau-
ty and cosmetics products, amenities, household
consumables, electronic connectors, and medical
measuring devices. The company invested in its
frst 3D printer, a Stratasys Objet 30, in 2012 as
a tool for product design and development in its
engineering department. The printer was used
primarily to print prototypes of plastic bottles, jars,
canisters, closures and lids. Its purchase was
sparked by a desire to bring some capabilities
in-house.
"The cost and amount of outside services and
parts we were buying prompted our investment
in in-house 3D printing capabilities," explains
Joel Sieber, Currier's new product development
manager.
The initial application was for part-design
Lessons and Learning Curves in
Plastics 3D Printing
ABOVE: A key consideration is part orientation on the build
tray or platform. Orientation of the part impacts the amount
of material used in the build and the placement of support
material to optimize form, ft and function.
A learn-as-you-go approach has helped this custom
molder grow its 3D printing capabilities.