ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING is the magazine devoted to industrial applications of 3D printing and digital layering technology. We cover the promise and the challenges of this technology for making functional tooling and end-use production parts.
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FEATURE / Production By Stephanie Hendrixson with MJF than with SLS, says Corey Weber. Following printing, the build units (mobile trollies like the one shown in the foreground on page 60) are removed from the printers and transferred to separate HP postprocessing sta- tions. After a rapid cooling process, unused powder is removed from the parts and they are ready for any necessary finishing. To service its 12 MJF printers, the 3D Manufacturing Fa- cility is equipped with 28 build units and five postprocessing stations, enough to enable 24/7 production. With all 12 MJF printers running at that rate, it would be possible to manufac- ture 50,000 unique iPhone 6 cases within a week, or as many as 2 million of a smaller gear part that could be nested within the build envelope. With this capability, the company sees MJF as a solid alternative to injection molding for the right parts and quantities. A Production Alternative The demand isn't quite there yet, as adoption can be some- what slow with larger companies, but Forecast 3D does have some customers already taking advantage of the cost and time savings MJF promises. One of these is Vekla, a company that sells leash watches for surfers. These small waterproof devices attach to the suroard leash, the ankle strap that tethers surfers to their boards, providing a way to keep track of the time without risking a smartphone or other high-tech device that could get lost in the waves. The plastic cases for these watches are manufactured in two halves that the consumer assembles around his or her leash of choice. The first run of Vekla cases was injection molded at a cost of more than $8,000. It took about 8 weeks to manufacture the mold and receive the first 1,000 units, the minimum order from the manufacturer. In contrast, Forecast 3D recently com- pleted the second run of 200 Vekla cases on its MJF printers, turning them around in 2 days. The printed parts can be dyed different shades but are other- wise ready for assembly as soon as they come out of the box. In addition to being consistent and accurate, they are also durable enough to stand up to the saltwater environment they are used in. And in contrast to injection molding, there is no large capital investment in tooling or minimum order volume, which contributes to cost savings. This lowered barrier to entry offers huge promise for small businesses and startups. "You don't need $9,000 to launch a product that's not proven," says Corey Weber. "You can start with $300 and get 50 units to start. It's much less of a risk." OPM250L Metal 3D Printer One Stop Manufacturing Solution Parallel Mode 45,000 RPM Milling Conformal Cooling Quality Surface Finish Exclusive Sodick technology enables the OPM to sinter multiple parts simultaneously without loss in quality or added cost. The OPM hybrid 3D Printer comes equipped with a high speed mill integrated into the machine for finishing parts in-process. 3D Printed cooling channels can improve plastic mold productivity by 30-50%, revolutionizing throughput. With 99.99% density and finish milling capabilities, OPM parts have achieved surfaces as low as 0.22µmRa. Sodick's OPM line of hybrid Metal 3D Printers is made to achieve a toolmaker's precision. Moreover, only Sodick provides a one stop solution, selling EDM, Mills, and Plastic Injection Molding equipment alongside printers Sales@sodick.com (847) 310-9000