3D printing, a disruptive technology
It is this desire and determination to look ahead and imagine the future, together with the insatiable technical curiosity that drives us, that naturally leads us to look to new ways of inventing, reinventing, designing and manufacturing. One of them: 3D printing.
Existing in many forms, Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), Stereolithography (SLA); 3D printing is a fast-developing innovation. As a designer, we quickly came to understand the challenges and undeniable advantages that a 3D printer could offer us.
A new way of design to integrate
We chose a MARKFORGED fused filament fabrication printer, recognised for their reliability and accuracy. In addition, MARKFORGED is also known for its constant development of innovative solutions. Indeed, protected by a patent, the printer can considerably strengthen plastic parts during 3D printing with the addition of another material: carbon fibre. Depending on the overall design and shape of the part, this innovation can yield parts as strong as aluminium at a fraction of the weight.
This new method of production also requires a new design method. Indeed, it is no longer a question of starting with a block and machining it, but depositing the material where is specifically needed.
Our objective is not simply to produce prototypes for preliminary designs, but to integrate, where appropriate, these printed parts into the very heart of the machines that we design. Time has shown us the quality, accuracy and strength of these printed parts makes this possible.
Indeed, since we have had this printer, almost all of the machines we have designed are with equipped with 3D printed parts. These very same machines now clock up several thousand cycles at our customers’, which leads to even more requests for our printed parts which have certainly proved their value over time.
The advantages of 3D printing
With this new string to our bow:
- We significantly reduce our costs on complex parts that are not subject to excessive strain (grippers, complex fitting of customer parts)
- We find solutions to weight problems (grippers) with parts that are lighter but also stronger
- We considerably improve our flexibility, agility and responsiveness as we are able to produce your part the following day or even the same day.
- Through our core business, the Specialised Machine, we affirm our technical curiosity and desire for bold and pioneering technical options.
Purchased at the start of 2019, and now with extensive experience and knowledge of this product (on average the printer is running more than 12 hours per day, 7 days a week), we are able to meet your demands, advise you, guide you and provide you with our know-how in the field of 3D printing to help you find the most suitable printing solution.
