EDITOR’S CHOICE
BESPOKE FACILITY
3D PRINT
3D PRINTING CUTS END-OF-ARM TOOLING COSTS
If you thought 3D printing, or additive
manufacturing, was only suitable for
prototyping or short-run production then
maybe it’s time to think again, as PECM
found out from 3DPRINTUK Director, Nick
Allen.
End of arm tooling (EOAT) is about as
bespoke as you get it in a production facility.
But tooling can be expensive, even if you
have the facilities in-house. So could they be
made cheaper with additive manufacturing
(AM) and in particular selective laser
sintering (SLS)? If so, will the material stand
up to the task? And even if you have your
own in-house CNC facility, could it be
better to outsource the job to a 3D printing
bureau?
In many cases, the answer to all these
questions is yes, and there are many reasons
why AM is a viable option when it comes
to EOAT. The first area is cost. The cost to
produce end of arm parts can be surprisingly
low, and at 3DPRINTUK we have created
them on behalf of clients for as little as
£25+vat. Yes, they can range up to around
£1,000 for much larger and more complex
items; however the majority of parts that we
produce sit in the sub £100 area.
• Pneumatic and hydraulic channels –
these can also be incorporated into the
print rather than needing external and
additional piping. This is particularly useful
for pneumatic picking systems that use a
vacuum to sort parts. Hydraulic channels
will need to be vacuum impregnated to
make them completely watertight.
The competitiveness of the method is
demonstrated by the fact that a number of
our customers have in-house equipment
to manufacture parts, yet still choose to
outsource to us.
Of course, strength is another consideration.
While not being as strong as a part CNC’d
from aluminium, the strength properties
of SLS nylon make it very effective. With a
tensile strength of 48MPa, it is suitable for
a large number of applications in low and
medium harshness environments.
It’s when you look at the design freedom the
AM method offers when things get a little
more interesting. Restrictions on the more
traditional methods of manufacture mean
that the ideal design for an application
may not be achievable in one part, and
often, may not be possible at all. With SLS,
you have far fewer limitations, allowing for
greater freedom of design.
These design aspects include:
• Multi-part in one – previously, complex
designs would have to be made up from
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PECM Issue 38
An excellent example of the benefits
AM offers is Brushtec. The world-class
manufacturer and designer of innovative
brush ware use our SLS prints to produce
precise, robust jigs and high quality
machine parts for their brush production
systems.
multiple parts which were then assembled
to make a finished piece. By using SLS, you
can more often than not, manufacture the
part in one.
• Internal geometry – the geometry needed
to hold items in place such as wires, sensors,
mechanical parts etc, can all be designed
internally without issue – you only need to
make sure that you can get the parts in there
once the item is printed.
• Weight saving – a lighter weight ‘end’ can
reduce strain on a robotic arm and increase
the longevity of the device.
Brushtec uses SLS over machined
aluminium because it can design complex
SLS parts and not be restricted by the
limitation of standard machining. Plus the
cost of SLS printing its EOAT is considerably
cheaper than machining aluminium in-
house once it factors in the raw material
purchase and delivery, machining centre
setup, machining centre programming,
purchase of milling cutters, overheads, and
wages.
www.3dprint-uk.co.uk