FDM for Jigs and Fixtures - s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com filejigs and fixtures must be rapidly...
Transcript of FDM for Jigs and Fixtures - s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com filejigs and fixtures must be rapidly...
THE 3D PRINTING SOLUTIONS COMPANY™
APPLICATION BRIEF
FDM for Jigs and Fixtures
BENEFITS OF FDM
Average lead time savings: • 40% - 90%
Average cost savings: • 70% - 95%
Greater efficiency: • Streamline and improve process
- Eliminate detailed drawings - Minimize paperwork
Greater design freedom:• Integrate / consolidate / improve
- Eliminate assembly - Improve performance, accuracy and ergonomics
FDM IS A BEST FIT
Quantity:• Low - volume (1-100+)
Properties:• Thermoplastic is acceptable.
Size (XYZ):• < 300 mm (12 inches) per side
Environment:• < 200° C (390° F)
Deployment:• Limited due to time and cost.
Fabrication:• In-house is not feasible.
Revisions:• Frequent replacements, alterations
and revisions must be made.
Tolerance:• > +/- 0.13 mm (0.005 in)
Part numbers and hardware pocket integrated in a fixture made from ABS-ESD7, commonly used for electrical component assembly fixtures.
Oreck First Articles mounted in FDM fixtures (white ABS-M30) on CMM granite base.
CAD model of Oreck vacuum cleaner yoke to be inspected on a CMM.
OverviewManufacturing relies on tools including jigs, fixtures, templates and gauges to maintain quality and production efficiency. They are used to position, hold, protect and organize components and sub-assemblies at all stages of the manufacturing process. And although these tools are virtually invisible when production is running smoothly, their importance becomes evident when problems arise. To avoid production halts or product defects, new jigs and fixtures must be rapidly designed, manufactured and deployed.
Application OutlineJigs and fixtures are most commonly fabricated from metal, wood or plastic in quantities of 1 – 100+ using a manual or semi-automated process. On average, each tool takes between one and four weeks to design and build, however elaborate or intricate tools may require several cycles of design, prototyping and evaluation to attain the required performance.
Fused Deposition Modeling™ (FDM®) provides a fast and accurate method of producing jigs and fixtures. FDM is an additive manufacturing process that builds plastic parts layer-by-layer using data from computer-aided design (CAD) files. By using FDM, the traditional fabrication process is substantially simplified; tool-making becomes less expensive and time consuming. As a result, manufacturers realize immediate improvements in productivity, efficiency and quality. Additionally, these tools can be designed for optimal performance and ergonomics because FDM places few constraints on tool configuration. What’s more, adding complexity does not increase build time and cost.
The efficiency of FDM makes it practical to optimize jig and fixture designs and increase the number in service. Engineers can easily evaluate the performance of the tool and make quick, cost-efficient adjustments to the design as needed. FDM also makes it practical to produce jigs and fixtures for operations where they have not been previously cost or design feasible when produced with traditional manufacturing methods.
Finally, FDM jigs and fixtures are made from tough and durable thermoplastics that can withstand the rugged manufacturing environment. With several bio-compatible options, they are also ideal for use in medical applications.
Customer StoryThe Oreck Corporation is a well-respected manufacturer of vacuum cleaners, sweepers, and other household cleaning appliances. Within the vacuum cleaning category alone, Oreck offers nearly 20 unique models which are valued for being lightweight, exceptionally durable and easy-to-use.
ISO 9001:2008 Certified
HEADQUARTERS7665 Commerce Way, Eden Prairie, MN 55344+1 888 480 3548 (US Toll Free)+1 952 937 3000 (Intl)+1 952 937 0070 (Fax)
2 Holtzman St., Science Park, PO Box 2496Rehovot 76124, Israel+972 74 745-4000+972 74 745-5000 (Fax)
© 2014, 2015 Stratasys Inc. All rights reserved. Stratasys, FDM and Fortus are registered trademarks and Fused Deposition Modeling, FDM Technology, Fortus 250mc, Fortus 360mc, Fortus 400mc, Fortus 900mc, Insight and Control Center are trademarks of Stratasys Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. ULTEM™ is a registered trademark of SABIC or affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Product specifications subject to change without notice. AB_FDM_JigsFixtures_A4_1115
The information contained herein is for general reference purposes only and may not be suitable for your situation. As such, Stratasys does not warranty this information. For assistance concerning your specific application, consult a Stratasys application engineer. To ensure user safety, Stratasys recommends reading, understanding, and adhering to the safety and usage directions for all Stratasys and other manufacturers’ equipment and products. In addition, when using products like paints, solvents, epoxies, Stratasys recommends that users perform a product test on a sample part or a non-critical area of the final part to determine product suitability and prevent part damage.
E [email protected] / STR ATASYS.COM
FDM FOR JIGS AND FIXTURES
Every new Oreck vacuum incorporates 20 - 30 complex injection molded parts that must meet specific dimensional tolerance requirements to ensure proper assembly and performance. Before production of a new product can begin, samples of each part are produced for testing. These are called First Articles.
Each First Article is inspected by a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) prior to shipment of the mold to the manufacturing facility, and once again before the mold is placed into production. During each inspection, the First Articles must be held rigidly in place. Should a First Article shift during the inspection process, the CMM will register a false failure.
During inspection, Oreck’s quality control team would manually attach a variety of modular aluminum clamps to hold the First Article in place. This pain-staking process generally took 30 minutes to complete and was then followed-up by two to four hours of CMM programming time.
Consequently the total time needed to test all of the First Articles required for production of a new vacuum model was approximately 30 days. If a defect was found - which happened at the rate of once a month – the timeline was further delayed while the QC team investigated the problem.
Oreck now uses FDM to make fixtures that are specifically designed to quickly and perfectly position each First Article for testing, thereby eliminating the need for manual placement. Furthermore they are able to create an FDM prototype of the First Article, which when used in conjunction with the complementary fixture, allowed the QC department to preprogram the CMM while the actual First Article was in production.
Now, the opportunity for testing error has been virtually eliminated, and the quality control process that previously took a month to complete can be done in one day — a 2,900% improvement.
“The accuracy and consistency of FDM allows us to move the programming stage up in the process, and essentially remove the First Article inspection process from the critical path in the new product development schedule. This makes it possible to start production faster,” said Craig Ulmer, Senior QA Labs Technician for Oreck.
FDM (black ABS-M30) assembly line nest mounted on an aluminum blank.
FDM First Article (gray ABS-M30) on FDM fixture (ivory ABS-M30) used by Oreck for CMM programming.
Companion and reference materials:• Technical application guide
– Document• Application brief
– Document• Video
– Commercial – Success story – How It’s Used
• Referenced processes – Metal inserts – Color change – Building assembly parts – Integrated structures – Insight custom groups
Application compatibility: (0 – N/A, 1 – Low, 5 – High)• FDM: Idea (3), Design (3), Production (5) • PolyJet™: Design (2)
How does FDM compare to traditional methods for Oreck?
METHOD COSTPRODUCTION TIME
TOTAL INSPECTION TIME
CNC $250 7 hours 30 days
FDM $55 3.5 hours 1 day
Savings $195 (78%)
3.5 hours (50%)
29 days — 2,900% improvement
CUSTOMER PROFILE
Forward-thinking manufacturers, engineers and designers that use jigs and fixtures for:
Departments:• Manufacturing • Inspection• Engineering • Inventory
Applications:• Transportation • Protection• Organization• Positioning / Holding
Traditional technology obstacles:• Creation time and expense
outweigh value.• Bottlenecks / delays in fixture
making are present.• Jigs and fixtures are used
infrequently or have short lives.• Jigs and fixtures are nice to have
but low priority.
REFERENCE COMPANIES