Aeroespacial: ACS fabrica sus utillajes con Fortus

 

Advanced Composite Structures (ACS) es una empresa canadiense que se dedica a reparar palas de helicópteros y otras estructuras de composite para helicópteros y avionetas.

 

 

Adicionalmente, la empresa tambien produce piezas de composite en series cortas, para clientes del sector aeroespacial. Ambos servicios requieren disponer de útiles y herramientas de mecanizado, y muchas tareas requieren tambien fijaciones a medida para operaciones secundarias como el taladrado.

 

Desde sus inicios, ACS fabricaba sus fijaciones de taladrado y otros utillajes mediante la subcontratación de servicios de mecanizado en máquinas CNC. Estos procesos presentaban el inconveniente de ser muy caros y requerir demasiado tiempo, con lo que ciertos trabajos se demoraban en muchos casos hasta el exceso, restando cierto nivel de competitividad a la empresa.

 

Para contrarrestar este hándicap, ACS decidió migrar hacia la manufactura digital aditiva mediante FDM y a tal efecto adquirió una máquina Fortus de Stratasys. ¿Resultado? Con la Fortus ha obtenido desde el primer trabajo unos resultados espectaculares en término de ahorro de costes (80%) y ahorro de tiempos (96%) respecto a la producción mediante CNC.

 

 

En palabras de Bruce Anning, propietario de ACS, "Si pensamos en todas las tareas de reparación que realizamos, y la gran cantidad de series cortas de piezas que fabricamos, el mecanizado supone para nosotros un factor clave en el coste total de nuestros trabajos. Los utillajes producidos con tecnología FDM me cuestan como máximo la quinta parte de lo que me costaría fabricarlos mediante CNC, y además puedo producir en un sólo día ciertos utillajes que serían prohibitivos en CNC pues me habrían llevado varias semanas. Creo que sin duda alguna la decisión de fabricar utillajes mediante FDM nos ha posibilitado recuperar e incluso mejorar sustancialmente nuestra competitividad."

Beneficios directos de la tecnología Stratasys FDM

BENEFICIOS DIRECTOS OBTENIDOS EN LA VIDA REAL MEDIANTE LA IMPLEMENTACION DE LA TECNOLOGIA Stratasys FDM

 

MEJORA DE LA COMPETITIVIDAD

 

ACIST Medical Systems (Medicina): "There are so many benefits to using FDM parts, but it has to become a mindset." Dave Scott, Acist Medical Systems

 

BMW (Automoción): "FDM is taking on increasing importance as an alternative manufacturing method for components made in small numbers." Günter Schmid, BMW

Culligan (Productos de consumo): "I wouldn't trade in our FDM system for anything. It’s a tool we use to showcase our capabilities when our dealers and resellers come into the office for a tour. They are always very impressed." Steve Reif, Director of Reserach & Development, Culligan

Diebold (Cajeros automáticos): “Because the parts held up under these conditions, I’m confident that we can begin rapid manufacturing of ATM components with FDM.” Rich Lute, Diebold


 

Digital Mechanics (Prototipado Rápido): "Direct digital manufacturing has become a key revenue stream and competitive differentiator for our business." Fredrik Finnberg, Digital Mechanics AB

 

East Tennesee State University (Centro tecnológico) "Combining the durability of ABS with the power to immediately improve and repeatedly test models makes our Dimension system the quintessential problem solving tool." Bill Hemphill, Associate Professor, ETSU

NEPTEC (Aeroespacial): "Due to the extreme nature of the environment, every space mission presents an elevated level of risk. By providing accurate, three-dimensional information and clearly communicating the extent of the damage, NASA was able to make a better educated decision, which, in turn, brought the Endeavour crew home safely." Maureen Campbell, Marketing Manager.

 

NorSAP (Productos comerciales): "Who would have guessed we’d be actively engaged in rapid manufacturing so soon after investing in a new rapid prototyping tool?" Andy Smith, SAP

 

Wincon-Nixdorf: "The ability to come up with immediate solutions is of vital importance, and FDM technology helps us accomplish just that." Wolfgang Hamann, Product Manager, Transaction Terminals

 

Xerox (Tooling): “If you can imagine it and draw it in CAD, you can build it in FDM.” Duane Byerley, Xerox

 

 

 

REDUCCION DE COSTES

 

Advanced Composite Structures (Aeroespacial): “Moving from traditional methods involving CNC machining to producing composite tooling with FDM has helped us substantially improve our competitive position.” (Bruce Anning, Owner, ACS)

 

Altimate Medical (Medicina): "A model that cost $1,000 and took three weeks to get from a service bureau can now be made internally for around $100." Gabe Routh, Product Development Manager, Altimate Medical Inc.

Aviradyne (Productos comerciales): "We can produce a new sandwich composite first article ready for testing in about one-third the time and half the cost of others using traditional methods." Ronald Jones, CTO, Aviradyne Technologies

 

Baldor (Productos comerciales): "3D models that once cost $500 through a service bureau can now be produced for less than $15 in house. The dramatic time and costs savings allow us more flexibility to make fast adjustments throughout the design cycle." Dewayne May CAD Engineer, Baldor Electric Company

Bell & Howell (Productos comerciales): "Once the design is frozen, the manufacturing costs are fairly fixed. Any changes you make in assembly technique or construction material won't affect manufacturing costs much. If we change a component design after a short time, it might be more cost effective to build our own parts rather than pay for tooling and production." Michael Jones, Bell & Howell
 

Black & Decker (Productos de consumo): "Before using a 3D printer it would typically take three to five days to get a prototype back from the service bureau. Having the machine onsite has made a phenomenal difference to this procedure. Parts that previously took three days can now be ready in just a few hours." Steve Swaddle, Manager of Technology, Black and Decker

 

Connecticut Corsair (Aeroespacial): “We’re trying to blend the old and the new, applying new FDM technology to the old craftsmanship ways of doing things.” (Craig McBurney, Founder and Project Manager, Connecticut Corsair)

 

DST Control (Aeroespacial): "Direct digital manufacturing speeds up the development process more than we could have anticipated." (Jan-Erik Strömberg, DST Control)

Dana Corp. (Automoción): "Spending a few thousand dollars on a prototype saves us months in engineering time." Bruce Vanisacker, Dana Corporation

Dial (Productos de consumo): "The system paid for itself in about two months time and the number of models we now produce has increased tenfold since we purchased the FDM 3D printer." Rick Althouse, Senior Package Engineer, Dial Home Care

 

EOIR (Defensa): "The FDM machine paid for itself in just two months, creating parts." John Moulton, EOIR

Harman Becker (Automoción): "Having the machine in the room purring in the corner and constantly delivering our prototypes has made it an integral part of our team." Robert Emmanuel, Project Engineer, Harman Becker

Indian Springs (Productos comerciales): "We save nearly 70 percent in production costs alone, and even more importantly, we deliver the part in just 72 hours. This would have taken us at least two to three weeks had we produced the parts in aluminum." Shawn Ferguson, president of Indian Springs
 

Instrumentation Laboratory (Medicina): "FDM helped us achieve a manufacturing cost reduction of 40%. That’s 10% more than the traditional approach would have offered."    Scott Notaro, Medical Engineering Manager, Instrumentation Laboratory

 

ISC (Productos de consumo): “We rely on functional prototypes to test usability, and the FDM system allows us to produce multiple early prototypes without the cost of a third party fabricator.” Mark Owens, Mechanical Engineering Manager, Industrial Scientific Corporation

 

Kelly (Aeroespacial): “The lead time for 500 units has been shortened to three days. In the aircraft world, that’s quick for certified production parts.” (Justin Kelly, Kelly Manufacturing Company)

 

Kirby Morgan (Productos comerciales): "In the past, we were unable to fill custom product requests in such a short time period. The modified regulator we developed for the U.S. Military displayed the major speed and efficiency improvements you can achieve with the introduction of an in-house FDM system." Pete Ryan, Senior Engineer, Kirby Morgan Dive Systems

 

Lamborghini (Automoción): “The many iterations of prototypes produced during the design process were instrumental in providing better fit during assembly and improved load paths.” Paolo Feraboli, Lamborghini

Loxus (Productos comerciales): "Parts that used to take us six weeks at the machine shop and cost $500 to $1500 per item, I now turn around in hours for less than $20. I estimate our small shop has saved over $100,000 in machining and prototyping since we purchased the printer three years ago." Chad Hall, Ioxus COO

 MSA (Productos industriales): “Our ability to produce a number of different variants in a short period of time greatly increases the design reliability of our products. In addition, we save money in development by being able to produce our own models in-house." Detlef Kielow, Senior Engineer, MSA AUER

 

Parvus (Productos comerciales): "ABS parts fit together so well, we went directly into production - with no design changes." Troy Takach, CEO, Parvus Corporation

Piper Aircraft (Aeroespacial): “I can program an FDM part in 10 minutes while a typical CNC program takes four hours to write.” (Jacob Allenbaugh, Manufacturing Engineer, Piper Aircraft)

 

Polaris (Automoción): "Every time we avoid cutting a tool, we save 8 to 12 weeks." Randy Larson, Polaris

RLM (Defensa): “In seven days we produced perfectly matching gear set castings that met drawing requirements and specifications and were functional as part of the assembly.” Rick Meachum, Vice President of Sales, RLM Industries

Rocket Crafters (Aeroespacial): “Additive manufacturing technology has been the key to producing fuel grains with higher consistency at a lower cost and shorter leadtimes than was possible in the past.” (Ron Jones, President and Chief Technology Officer, Rocket Crafters Inc.)

Script Pro (Farmacia): “The FDM machine paid for itself within months of purchase." Bill Thomas, ScriptPro

 

Selectech Geospatial (Aeroespacial): “It is a speedy way to shake down new products before committing to a final design.” Frank Beafore, SelectTech Geospatial executive director

Sheppard Air Force Base (Defensa): “FDM has saved the government over $3.8 million to date with an expected 10-to-15-year savings of over $15 million.“ Mitchell Weatherly, Sheppard AFB, Chief, Trainer Development Flight

 

Thermal Dynamics (Productos comerciales): “FDM system actually paid for itself in only seven months.” Matt Colpitts, Thermal Dynamics

 

 

Thogus Products (Productos comerciales): “We save in excess of $150,000 per year with FDM. I can’t imagine not having this technology in a manufacturing setting. It is as critical to our business as e-mail.” Matt Hlavin, President, Thogus Products

 

Tiberius (Defensa): "We're able to cut the design time and problem resolution time in half, while at the same time doubling quality." Dennis Tiberius, Tiberius Arms

 

University of Alabama in Hunstsville (Centro tecnológico): “The Fortus system offered the right balance of part functionality, material choices, and operating cost that met our needs best. We couldn’t be happier with our decision.” Stephen Collins, Prototype Development Specialist, University of Alabama in Huntsville

 

University of California San Francisco (Centro tecnológico): "The FDM system enables the fabrication of custom centrifuge rotors for as little as $80, whereas a comparable commercial product would likely cost thousands of dollars.” (…) “There's hardly a microscope in our building that does not have some 3D-printed part on it.” Joe Derisi, UCSF engineer

 

University of Central Florida (Centro tecnológico): “The frame of the underwater unmanned vehicle had to be strong, yet it’s so complex it would have cost a fortune to machine. FDM gave us the ability to economically rapid manufacture just one.” Christopher Sprague, University of Central Florida (UCF)

 

University of Texas Dallas (Centro tecnológico): "The FDM system has accelerated this important research by a factor of four or five, and it gives me the freedom to think outside the box. I am not constrained to incremental steps. I can design an entirely new device and print it in a single day." Dr. Robert Rennaker II, Associate Professor, University of Texas-Dallas

WPI (Medicina): “FDM dramatically reduced both the cost and time involved in making these components, while the additive manufacturing process provides nearly unlimited design flexibility.” Gregory Fischer, WPI Automation and Interventional Medicine Laboratory
 

 
Xerox (Networking): "The team bought into FDM system because it means we can prove designs more quickly." Peter Keilty, Facility Manager, Xerox

OPTIMIZACION DEL DISEÑO

Akaishi (Productos de consumo): "We can verify not just the product geometries, but also their materials in advance. This is the ultimate verification." Makoto Muraoka, Akaishi



 

Arctic Spas (Productos de consumo): "FDM technology has really changed the way our company approaches the desgin process” Pete Van't Hoff, CAD Manager, Arctic Spas

Bell Helicopter (Aeroespacial): “The efficient process allows us to do more iterations than we could with other processes. That results in better-designed components.” (Mike Storp, Bell Helicopter)

 

Ducati (Automoción): "To keep Ducati at the forefront of engine design, we sought a technology that could make accurate, durable prototypes quickly." Piero Giusti, Ducati





 

Ecoinvent (Productos comerciales): “With FDM we can make quick, durable and inexpensive prototype parts in-house, which gives our engineers the freedom to test new designs uninhibited by technological restrictions.” Oleg Muzylev, Head of Engineering, Ecoinvent

Embry-Riddle (Centro tecnológico): “Every piece we create needs to maintain the tightest tolerances in order to fit and function properly. ABS material is ideal.” Chris Smith, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Evektor (Aeroespacial): “With Fortus, we can now develop and test innovative designs - and if necessary change them quickly without halting the production process. This means we no longer need to make ‘functional’ compromises.” (Igor Mega, Evektor)
 

GROHE (Productos comerciales): "Samples could be made available quickly, while the reliability of the design and construction quickly increased." Friedrich Imhoff, Grohe Product Development Manager






 

GTRE (Aeroespacial): "With FDM we created an engineering prototype that perfectly reflected our design intent and facilitated the complex engine development." (Dr. U. Chandrasekhar, GTRE)

Henk (Productos de consumo): “It would have been impossible to design a machine of this complexity and originality without the capability to quickly build prototypes.” Henk van der Meijden, Henk

Hanil-E-Hwa (Automoción):
"FDM has advantages that include part strength and ease of modification. These are important traits when assembling prototypes for confirmation of quality and suitability of design." Choi Hae Seok, Hanil E-Hwa
 

Hyundai (Automoción):
"Dimensional accuracy and dimensional stability were critical for design verification. FDM gave us both." Tae Sun Byun, Hyundai Mobis



 

Joe Gibbs Racing (Automoción): "We wanted to model with the strong thermoplastics available for FDM – Polycarbonate and Polyphenylsulfone.” (Mark Bringle, Joe Gibbs Racing)
 

Klock Werks (Automoción):
"The parts met all our requirements for accuracy and strength" (Todd Snedeker, Klock Werks Kustom Cycles)

Leptron (Aeroespacial): “It would not have been possible for a company of our size to design and build this product using conventional manufacturing methods.” (John Oakley, Leptron)

Logitech (Productos de consumo): “Had we relied on formulas and CAD models rather than functional models, we might never have found the optimal design.” Dominic Amae, Logitech

Minimizer (Automoción): "As trucks change, we need to change. People are always coming to us  for new products." (Craig Kruckeberg, Minimizer CEO)





 

NASA (Aeroespacial): “You always want it to be as light as possible, but you also want it to be strong enough.” (Chris Chapman, NASA test engineer)




 

New England Institute of Technology (Centro tecnológico): "FDM technology helps us for product design and brings a new level of enthusiasm to the design process." Bruce Feodoroff, Chairman.

Parker Hannifin Racor (Automoción): "Vibration affects filter efficiency, so it was important to mount the prototype directly on the engine for accurate testing." Russ Jensen, Parker Hannifin-Racor

Kor (Automoción): "FDM technology made it easy and efficient to make design changes along the way." Jim Kor, President and Senior Designer, KOR Ecologic

University of Advancing Technology (Centro tecnológico): “The FDM system is a perfect tie-in for what we do because it makes our projects much more physical and tangible.” Mark Hartlieb, University of Advancing Technology (UAT)

University of Virginia (Centro tecnológico): “We couldn’t have accomplished that level of realism without the FDM system.” Dwight Dart, design lab engineer, University of Virginia

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Centro tecnológico): "The Fortus FDM system produces parts with the strength and accuracy to survive and provide data while as deep as a mile beneath the Atlantic Ocean." Bob McCabe, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Xerox (Thermoforming): “So far we have not found anything we cannot do with FDM.”

Duane Byerley, Xerox