Peak Production Adopts Stratasys FDM 3D Printing to Innovate Its Tooling Process and Increase Manufacturing Efficiency
September 20 2016 - 9:30AM
Business Wire
3D printing jigs and fixtures 24/7, the company
reports a reduction in lead times of up to 90% on plastic parts
compared to traditional CNC Machining, while slashing production
costs by 50% in many cases
The ability to produce high performance 3D
printed parts that can match the strength of traditional tools,
fast and more cost-effectively, offers manufacturers a new way to
innovate, increase productivity and become more competitive with
their manufacturing
To find out more about efficient production
with 3D printed jigs and fixtures, visit Stratasys at TCT on
Stand E14, Hall 3A
Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq:SSYS), a global leader of 3D printing and
additive manufacturing solutions, today announced that UK
manufacturer of Automated Test Equipment and Test Fixtures, Peak
Production Equipment Ltd., is adopting Stratasys FDM 3D printing to
innovate its production line. Since utilizing its Fortus Production
3D Printer to assist in the manufacture of jigs and fixtures, the
company has reported a reduction in lead times of 90%, while
reducing production costs by 50% compared to CNC machined
parts.
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Designed for a leading aircraft
manufacturer, the Peak Production Test Unit tests the catch used to
release the landing bay door of an aircraft. Due to the complex
profiling of the internal components, much of these were 3D printed
as they could not be manufactured via conventional CNC mills
(Photo: Business Wire)
Manufacturing a comprehensive range of test equipment – from
simple test boxes used by sub contract manufacturers to stand alone
high specification test racks and systems used in the aerospace and
defence industries – Peak Production services a number of
high-profile clients such as Rolls Royce, Siemens and BAE Systems.
With the ability to 3D print manufacturing tools in a fraction of
the time using traditional methods, the company has been able to
ramp up production to meet ever-decreasing turnaround times
requested by customers.
“We purchased our Stratasys Fortus Production 3D Printer 18
months ago and since then it has been running 24/7, including
nights, holidays and weekends,” explains Richard Bushell, Group
Managing Director, Peak Group. “3D printing offers us a new level
of flexibility and versatility when it comes to production. We can
print complex tools of different sizes and materials on-demand in a
fraction of the time compared to traditional CNC tooling.
“3D printing has also enabled us to become more efficient during
production,” continues Bushell. “Due to the high-volume throughput
of the Fortus Production 3D Printer and minimal operator time
required, we’ve been able to produce many parts for our jigs and
fixtures, often at 50% of the cost of our traditional process.
We’ve also cut down on a number of manual processes, saving
operator and labour hours which can now be redistributed elsewhere
in the company – increasing our overall efficiency.”
Since purchasing its Fortus Production 3D Printer from Stratasys
UK reseller, Laserlines, the technology has played an integral role
in Peak Production’s manufacturing workflow. According to Bushell,
the company is already planning to purchase another Fortus system
in the coming year with 3D printed tools providing a great fit for
the production requirements of test equipment for aerospace,
automotive and rail industries.
The company 3D prints all its jigs and fixtures using Stratasys’
Nylon 12 and ABS materials, providing the part strength comparable
to CNC machined tools. This has been critical for the production of
jigs, such as mechanical and pneumatic push down tools, as they are
used directly on the production line to test and assemble complex
parts for the aerospace and automotive industries. The large build
size of the Fortus Production 3D Printer provides Peak Production
flexibility to print individual tools specific to the complexities
of the part and adapt them for optimum performance.
“The production of high value tools such as jigs and fixtures
using 3D printing is an application widely adopted by manufacturers
around the world to great success,” comments Andy Middleton,
President Stratasys EMEA. “Operating its 3D printer 24/7, Peak
Production is the ideal example, demonstrating how 3D printing can
be utilised as a high volume production method for tooling
applications to rival, and in this case, replace traditional
manufacturing methods. The ability to produce high performance 3D
printed parts that can match the strength of traditional tools –
faster and more cost-effectively than ever before – offers
manufacturers a new way to innovate, increase productivity and
become more competitive with their manufacturing.”
For more than 25 years, Stratasys Ltd.
(NASDAQ:SSYS) has been a defining force and dominant player in
3D printing and additive manufacturing – shaping the way things are
made. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Rehovot, Israel,
the company empowers customers across a broad range of vertical
markets by enabling new paradigms for design and manufacturing. The
company’s solutions provide customers with unmatched design freedom
and manufacturing flexibility – reducing time-to-market and
lowering development costs, while improving designs and
communications. Stratasys subsidiaries include MakerBot and
Solidscape, and the Stratasys ecosystem includes 3D printers for
prototyping and production; a wide range of 3D printing materials;
parts on-demand via Stratasys Direct Manufacturing; strategic
consulting and professional services; and the Thingiverse and
GrabCAD communities with over 2 million 3D printable files for free
designs. With more than 2,700 employees and 800 granted or pending
additive manufacturing patents, Stratasys has received more than 30
technology and leadership awards. Visit us online at:
www.stratasys.com or http://blog.stratasys.com/, and follow us on
LinkedIn.
Stratasys is a registered trademark and Fortus is a trademark of
Stratasys Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries or affiliates.
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