3D printing | technology
Whether for prototyping, low volume production or custom tooling manufacture, 3D printing - or additive manufacturing - has a great deal to offer injection moulders, writes Mark Holmes
Gearing up for a 3D future
Far from being a competitor or substitute for injection moulding technology, additive manufacturing (or 3D printing as it is more often called today) is the ideal complement, according to Dr Eberhard Duffner, Divisional Manager Development at Arburg, which, as the manufacturer of both the Freeformer additive manufacturing system and Allrounder injection moulding machines, can be said to have feet placed fi rmly in both camps. Duffner argues that, for plastic processing compa-
nies, there are three main reasons for investing in additive manufacturing capabilities. Firstly, to meet demands for ever shorter production life cycles – he says by using additive manufacturing it is possible to achieve series readiness more quickly so time-to-mar- ket is shortened. The second reason is the design freedom that additive manufacturing provides - under- cuts and complex geometries that would be impossible to produe using injection moulding can easily be realised. Finally, additive manufac- turing provides a tool to cut the cost of essential production equipment – custom assembly tools, grippers for internal automation, and jig components can be manufactured quickly and fl exibly. “When a company brings a large number
of new products to market every year, the need for high-quality prototypes and the potential for
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additive manufacturing is enormous,” says Duffner. “One advantage of the Freeformer is that, beyond
purely visual samples, it can manufacture functional parts using original materials without requiring a mould, for example for installation trials and functional tests. Mass-produced parts can also be individualised on a customer-specifi c basis in conjunction with additive manufacturing, injection moulding and Industry 4.0 technologies. Arburg has demonstrated how this can be done using the example of offi ce scissors. In the automated production line, an Allrounder and Free- former are linked via a seven-axis robotic system. The Freeformer applies individualised 3D PP lettering to the scissors for demonstration purposes,” he explains.
Main image: A
two-component planetary
roller gear assembly
produced on an Arburg
Freeformer additive
manufacturing system
Left: This Arburg Industry 4.0 manufacturing cell combines additive manufacturing and injection moulding. The two technolo- gies are linked by a seven-axis robotic system
May 2016 | INJECTION WORLD 13
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