2023Year5moon23On Japan, Mohou.com learned that the United States3D Printing service providerMerit3D customers Adhesive Technology got there 100 Tens of thousands of orders for spare parts were even unimaginable before. Because for millions of parts, the injection molding process will be chosen for mass production.3DThere is no cost advantage to printing to produce.
△Merit3D monthly at Adhesive Technology deliver 40,000 individual3DPrinted resin hanger (source:Merit3D）
But the situation is turning around, and it all starts with supply chain disruptions.
How they got the biggest ever 3D Print orders,For what 3D Is printing better than injection molding?All3DP And Merit3D CEO Spencer without love I had a conversation to find out.
Adhesives is a manufacturer of construction and industrial adhesive products, and uses custom-designed injection-molded plastic components to join two of their related products together. Available in several different designs, these little hangers ensure that the mixing nozzle and corresponding epoxy cartridge stay together and do not come apart during transport or on store shelves.
Adhesives The company produces dozens of industrial adhesives that must be shipped across the country, but without this simple plastic part, shipments cannot happen and operations are virtually paralyzed.
Injection molding is a mature process for mass production of plastic parts and is used worldwide. However, in recent years, suppliers have often experienced instability, including epidemics, earthquakes, embargoes, etc. Bringing injection molding operations back to the United States would be time consuming and costly. TO DO Adhesives One version of the hanger requires a multi-cavity mold that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to redesign. The more complex the mold, the higher its cost.
Without love He said: “A man of Adhesives Staff saw one of our social media posts and contacted us to see if they could help. “
Initially, our idea was to 3D Print as an interim or transitional product until customers can continue injection molding production.
△Merit3DDesigned Product Hanger (Source:Merit3D）
For 3D Print redesigned parts
Of course, the hanger can be 3D Printed.Deserved Make the hanger 3D Scan, create digital files and start production. But in the current design, the hanger is 3D is prohibitively expensive to print because 3D The printer cannot accommodate enough hangers at one time. The project will require more printers, therefore more equipment and more time.
“There is a perception that if you design a part digitally, you just convert it from injection molding to 3D Just print it out,”Without love explain. But this generally doesn’t make economic sense. Just as the original part was designed for injection molding, the 3D Printing it out and redrawing it is the only way to go.
Without love and engineers spent two weeks evaluating the purpose and features of the hanger and redesigning it. After several iterations, they developed a part that was smaller, lighter, more beautiful and used fewer materials. More importantly, they have 24 roundPhotocentric Liquid Crystal MagnaResin 3D Printer, one print can produce400 A hanger. Each print requires less than 4 Hour. As a result, costs have decreased significantly,Adhesives I found a temporary solution.
△Photocentric Resin 3D The printer may contain 400 parts (source:Merit3D）
After receiving Adhesives After ordering a few months later,Merit3D Another design iteration was presented to them. They call this a universal hanger because it works on two products that previously had different hangers. this will eliminate AdhesiveAnother hanger that needs to be injection molded, transported, stored and applied, with the corresponding injection mold.
“After introducing the universal hanger, all of a sudden,Adhesive They were then extended by Merit3D of orders. “Without love explain.
although 3D Printed hangers are more expensive than injection molded ones, but Adhesives The selling point is the added value of continuous innovation and improvement.
“exist 500,000 In this case, we plan to improve it again”,Without love explain. This time,Merit3D plan to enjoy another 3D Print properties, ability to merge multiple parts into one 3D Print parts. “Currently they have a mixing nozzle, holder and lid as three separate injection molded parts, but our plan is to see if we can combine all of these parts into one part.”
This innovation will allow Adhesives Businesses save more SKU。
100Is this just the beginning?
NOW,Merit3D Weekly Adhesive Technology deliver 40,000 parts, these parts are in their 10 round Photocentric Made on the printer. Even now,Merit3D I still work with Photocentric and its raw material suppliers to develop new 3D Printing resins are looking for the best combination of performance and cost that will allow them to innovate with even thinner hangers with the same or better mechanical properties than those currently available.
although 3D Printing has revolutionized the world of prototyping, but competing with injection molding for mass production is a battle of materials. “We work with ABSpolypropylene, nylon and polycarbonate and other traditional commercial plastics,”Without love explain.
used for 3D Printed photopolymers are called reduction polymerization and are generally proprietary. new engineering grade 3D Printing resins are coming onto the market regularly, but there aren’t many options at the moment.
“exist Photocentricour goal is to promote industrialized, scalable and affordable additive manufacturing solutions,” the company’s commercial director Sally tip explain. “There is still a cost difference between additive manufacturing and injection molding, but our goal is to reduce material costs. » Photocentric is an open materials platform, meaning users can work with materials manufacturers to develop custom resins.
A turning point for additive manufacturing
In the long term,Adhesive Technology Can it be obtained from Merit3D Get these part innovations and go back to injection molding? Maybe. However, economic and legislative forces are actively encouraging American companies to invest in new technologies, reshoring manufacturing and bringing it back to “Made in America.”
Merit3D Leveraging state relocation grants to purchase equipment and robots, thereby reducing Adhesive Technology The cost of the project.
“We are very excited to be at the forefront with the United States and Utah in finding new ways to revive the manufacturing industry,”Without love explain. “That’s a good example. It could be 3D The largest spare parts order in the history of printing. “
There is no doubt thatAdhesive Technology And Merit3D The project constitutes an important step in the development of additive manufacturing to compete with injection molding.
“The future is unpredictable”Without love pointed out. “Depending on what happens with their molds and everything else, our goal is to add enough value to the product that they can say, OK, we’re not going back to our injection molds.”
Source: Antarctic Bear
Daguang focuses on providing solutions such as precision CNC machining services (3-axis, 4-axis, 5-axis machining), CNC milling, 3D printing and rapid prototyping services.
