Production Tools
3D Printing Solutions for Production Tools
Reliable & Light, Flexible & Smart
Automation is advancing rapidly, with production and intralogistics processes becoming increasingly interconnected through digitalization. Robotics and gripping systems play a key role in this transformation. However, gripping technology in particular faces continuous challenges. Additive manufacturing enables a targeted response to fast-changing market trends.
Robotics is no longer exclusive to large corporations - SMEs can benefit as well. The key: lightweight gripping tools designed for smaller, more cost-efficient robots are entering the market. This reduces investment costs and accelerates return on investment. In addition to cost savings, lightweight grippers with the same load capacity enable faster movements and shorter cycle times - critical factors in modern manufacturing.
Advantages of 3D Printed Production Tools
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Lightweight & Energy Saving: Production tools are designed to be lighter, which reduces material consumption and improves energy efficiency, reducing overall production costs.
- Customizable & Precise: The ability to create highly customized and intricate designs allows for more precise, application-specific solutions that traditional methods cannot achieve.
- Fast & Demand-Based: Faster production times and on-demand spare parts availability minimize downtime, ensuring a smooth and efficient manufacturing process.
- Simplifies Assemblies: Multi-functional components reduce the number of parts needed, streamlining assembly processes and supply chains, which saves time and resources.
Success Story
Wittmann Group
Bronchial Gripper with Functional Base Plate
The Wittmann group was looking for a lightweight solution with a flexible membrane to control a pair of gripper tongs by compressed air. The solution needed to incorporate all pneumatic connections and channels directly into the plate itself. After simplifying the design, stable grippers on a functional plate were successfully manufactured in small series production on a FORMIGA P 100.
Atlas Copco
Atlas Copco, a leader in industrial solutions, faced these very challenges with the production of its rivet delivery bowl—an essential component in self-piercing riveting systems used in the automotive industry. By adopting in-house additive manufacturing (AM), the company not only overcame these obstacles but also unlocked significant cost savings, reduced waste, and dramatically shortened lead times.
FESTO
Process safety plays a key role with gripping systems to avoid handling errors. However, grippers that are more flexible are also desirable, allowing them to handle different workpieces. Ideally, production should be monitored in real time to identify any faults or potential optimizations using the recorded data.
Trinckle & Kuhn-Stoff
Design work costs money and time. Another factor is that the necessary design and CAD expertise may not be easy to acquire. Using gripping systems as an example, trinckle and Kuhn-Stoff teamed up to investigate how an efficient development and design process can be automated without requiring in-depth knowledge of 3D design and CAD.
SSI Schäfer
Success Story
3D Printed Extraction Gripper
Individual special gripper from PA 2200 leads to reduction of set-up time and increase of production time while achieving a wheight reduction by more than 70%.
Anubis 3D
Success Story
End-of-Arm for Smarter Packaging
An innovative, industrial, 3D printed end-of-arm enables Langen Group to lighten the load on their customer’s robotic packaging line.
ASS Maschinenbau
Success Story
Polyamide Robotic Hand
Manufacture of a lightweight robotic hand with integrated air channels from polyamide using the EOSINT P 396.
Get Inspired
Turbomachinery & Turbines
Industries
Its high-performance parts feature complex, high-tech designs that need to be more and more robust and powerful as the demand for energy increases.
Tooling
Industries
The most complex of shapes can be designed and produced in the highest quality, quickly and cost-efficiently, even for small batch sizes.
Heat Exchanger
Industries
Whether you need heat exchangers, housings, communication parts, drones, three-dimensional circuit boards or inductors – the diversity of possible additive manufacturing applications spans the entire industry.
