3D Printing for Machine Builders
Accelerate your machine build with 3D-printed tooling.
Machine builders are using 3D printing to replace CNC machining and poured urethane to create fixtures and custom details.
Wield your secret weapon and enjoy the benefits of design freedom, lightweight details, short lead times, and fewer parts — all without sacrificing strength or performance.
Start 3D printing your…
Design Freedom
Conquer Timelines
Lightweight
Consolidate Parts
Strong 3D Printed Fixtures
Get more design freedom and keep projects on time.
3D printing your fixtures and nesting will make you feel like you hit the “easy” button, compared to CNC machining or poured urethane.
Non-marking, Soft Touch Tooling, will protect your customer’s sensitive A-surface parts from scuffs and scratches.
Additionally, 3D printing has drastically shorter lead times than traditional manufacturing methods, which keeps your project on schedule while reducing costs.
VIDEO:
Reduce cost and lead time with 3D printed Soft Touch Tooling™.
3D Printed End of Arm Tooling (EOAT)
Save money and time with exceptionally lighter EOATs.
Lightweight 3D-printed EOATs offer significant advantages over traditional EOATs made of heavier materials. Firstly, the reduced weight of 3D-printed EOAT allows for the use of smaller, less expensive robots.
Secondly, the reduced weight of the EOAT enables the robot to move at faster speeds, increasing the efficiency and productivity of the manufacturing process.
Finally, 3D printing allows for the design of highly-customized EOATs with integrated features such as pneumatic plumbing, cable retention, and more.
VIDEO:
Discover how to save cost and weight with 3D printed end-of-arm-tooling.
3D Printed Sensor Covers and Guards
Protect sensitive sensors with purpose-printed guarding.
Custom 3D-printed sensor covers can be highly customized to fit specific sensors and devices, providing better protection and ensuring a more accurate reading.
Get custom sensor covers and guards.
Tricky Custom Details
Dramatically simplify your creation of custom details.
By using 3D printing, complex custom details become a single, easy-to-manufacture component. Compared to traditional fabrication methods, which would require multiple components and hours of machining, 3D-printed details are effortless.
3D Printed First Shots of Customer Parts for Debug
Set up your machine without waiting for molded customer parts.
When building a manufacturing machine, you need customer part samples to perform the initial setup of nesting, sensors, and more. Rather than waiting for molded samples to arrive, you can 3D print parts and keep the machine build on track.
Read more about 3D printing at Extol.
Extol hosts assembly workshop at Additive Manufacturing UG Conference
Extol led a hands-on workshop at the annual AMUG conference this year. People learned how to use welding and assembly to find the best solution to meet their 3D printing application’s cost, performance, and lead time needs. Expand your knowledge through my conversation with Extol’s Kyle Harvey about AMUG and the welding and assembly workshop.
Top 6 Reasons Machine Builders are Switching to 3D Printing
3D printing technology and materials have advanced rapidly, offering new possibilities and advantages for machine builders. Machine builders are replacing traditional CNC machining and urethane casting processes to use 3D printing for applications such as fixtures, EOAT, tricky custom details, and first shots of customer parts for debugging. Let’s explore some of the benefits of 3D printing for machine builders, focusing on design freedom, reducing lead time and cost, reducing detail count, replacing messy urethane casting, keeping debug timelines moving, and reducing weight.
Which Unlocks More 3D Printing Applications? – DfAM or Business Model Innovation
Despite the promise of Additive Manufacturing (AM), many organizations have failed to capitalize on its potential. This is partly because AM presents a unique set of challenges, which can be difficult to overcome without extensive experience and expertise. As a result, many organizations have pursued applications that are not well-suited for AM, leading to late and expensive failures. In order to maximize the benefits of AM, organizations need to invest in and deliver successful applications. With the right approach, AM has the potential to change the world.
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Take one step closer to manufacturing the future!
Tell us about your application and request a quote. Whether you just need details printed or you need help developing your additive tooling design, we’ve got you covered.
Let us know what you need.