Right back at the beginning of our 3D printing business journey, we were approached by a local aeronautical engineering business. Their idea was to determine whether or not 3D printing could save them money on prototyping, that would normally cost them thousands to create using typical methods of manufacturing.
The Challenge
The client’s engineering team had the challenge that they needed to test-fit complex parts to ensure proper fit and function, before committing to final machining.
Traditional manufacturing methods required them to machine each part out of expensive materials, a process that was both time-consuming and costly.
This approach posed two major risks for them:
- High Costs: Each machining iteration involved a large financial investment in both materials and labour. Any errors or design changes meant repeating the entire expensive process, which of course would lead to an escalation in costs.
- Wasted Resources: Without a way to test parts before final production, there was a significant risk of wasting both time and money on parts that didn’t meet specifications or failed to fit properly.
The Solution
To address the client’s requirement for cost-effective test-fitting, we proposed to them that we use 3D printing to create an accurate prototype of the parts. This would also us to quickly produce prototype parts for them at a fraction of the cost and time necessary for traditional types of machining, which opened the opportunity for multiple test-fitting as needed across a shorter period of time.
We discussed the different material options available to the client, and as there were no temperature or material load requirements, we agreed that PLA was the best option.
As PLA is a cheap solution, the client was able to quickly and affordable make design changes that were necessary to perfect the part before it was passed to final production. This significantly reduced the chance of expensive errors, rework and wasted materials.
The Results
The client was happy that they were able to test if the part fit and worked as necessary, without having to spend a great deal of time, energy and money creating expensive prototypes. As a result, they were able to move to machining their final part quicker with the confidence that it was to the exact specifications that would create the best results.