Stratasys recently announced that direct digital manufacturing is being used to manufacture 32 components for its new large format production machine - the FDM 900mc, which was introduced at the recent EuroMold show in Frankfurt.
Direct digital manufacturing (DDM) is also known as rapid manufacturing. DDM can result in dramatic savings over traditional manufacturing, and ROI can be realised within a handful of projects.
The FDM 900mc machine's touch-screen bezel - one of the 32 parts - would have cost an estimated £55,000 for traditional tooling and required a probable 6-week lead-time. Traditional tooling is often not cost effective when a company sells a limited number of products per year.
With DDM, production parts can be created on demand directly from CAD data, so no tooling is necessary.
"Direct digital manufacturing is not for mass production," says Stratasys FDM Product Manager Patrick Robb. "But if your operations call for limited-run production of certain parts, DDM is much more economical than machining or injection moulding. Manufacturing engineers can't afford to ignore the savings."
Because DDM is an emerging process, its benefits and best uses are not widely known. DDM can be a cost-effective alternative to traditional manufacturing methods when any one of these criteria is present: relatively low production volume, relatively high design complexity, high probability of near-term design change, high start-up investment
Benefits include: no machining or tooling cost, no waiting for machining or tooling, inventory reduction: components can be made on demand, design can be changed during production with virtually no penalty.
Technology innovation led to advances in the machine's precision. The FDM 900mc is based on a new platform, distinct from previous FDM additive fabrication systems used for production or prototyping. The head gantry is driven by ball screw technology as opposed to previous machines, which are belt driven. This results in a marked improvement in predictability and repeatability. The resulting positional accuracy and part tolerance are substantially improved over previous systems.
Recognised manufacturing industry expert, Graham Tromans from Loughborough University, Leicestershire, operates a consulting, design, and production centre consortium to assist manufacturers. The program employs an array of fabrication processes. After being introduced to the 900mc, he reported: "We are impressed with the FDM 900mc and the potential it opens up for manufacturers. It has high accuracy, repeatability, and build speed. We think it's well-positioned for rapid manufacturing (i.e. direct digital manufacturing)."
In another shift from previous machines, the sizeable build envelope, which measures 914mm x 610mm x 914mm, is far larger than competing systems that produce plastic or metal parts.
Manufacturing engineers in the consumer-product, aerospace, and automotive sectors are expected to be the first adopters of this new technology. The most popular applications are fabrication tools and assembly tools, built in the manufacturer's jig and fixture department.