Page 66 - MetalForming April 2013

Tooling Technology
Manufacturer Finds Applications Well Beyond Prototyping
Progressive Dynamics Inc. (www.progressive- dyn.com), Marshall, MI, has delved deeply into 3D-printing technology as part of its basic operat- ing philosophy. The firm manufactures integrated power-management products and systems, including automatic transfer switching, AC/DC power distribution and digital status displays. Its interest in 3D printing started with rapid prototyp- ing, and has escalated since.
Progressive Dynamics employs 3D printing to support its main processes: metal stamping, plas- tic-injection molding, painting, wire fabrication, light assembly and printed-circuit-board assembly. Using Solidworks 3D modeling software, it can produce ABS plastic models in a few hours. The models serve as prototypes, test components and fixturing for stamping and molding, according to Jeff Cornell, mechanical engineering manager and materials control director.
“Many 3D printouts end up in workholding systems,” Cornell says. “For product development, we use 3D printing to produce samples and pro- totypes, or we test form, fit and function of parts that we design by printing out a part to see how it meshes with the rest of an assembly.”
Jeff Cornell, mechanical engi- neering manager and materials control director at Progressive Dynamics Inc., Marshall, MI, uses 3D printing to produce fixtures and other non-produc- tion pieces that find use throughout the manufacturer’s plant.
Progressive Dynamics previously had out-
sourced prototyping, but about a decade ago, according to Cornell, as rapid-prototyp- ing technology became more affordable the company purchased its own equipment. Today, the firm uses a 3D-printing machine with capacity to produce plastic models to about 10 by 10 by 12 in.
“We can design and print something off in a few hours, and we can test a com- ponent upfront right away,” Cornell says. “Even for parts larger than the capacity of the printer, we figured out how to make dovetail joints and break larger parts into sections.”
Though not using the 3D printer for any type of volume production, Progressive Dynamics has found innovative ways to profit from the technology. For instance, the printer can run off simple washers as well as shims and spacers for various shop-floor applications in a matter of minutes.
The company fires up the printer perhaps a few times per month, Cornell says, but in some cases the machine will be used for a week straight during intense product- development sessions. Its use should only increase as Progressive Dynamics constant- ly explores new applications for 3D printing.
secondary processes.”
Shinbara goes on to identify part-
volume “sweet spots” for additive man- ufacturing in the near future: low- and medium-volume parts of the same shape, and high volume where a part family exhibits geometry changes across the parts.
“With additive manufacturing, you can change geometries without added costs for tooling,” he says. “The only costs associated with design changes in additive manufacturing relate to the design engineer who must make the changes and prepare the digital files. So, the biggest benefit of additive manufacturing is the elimination of tooling that normally would be need- ed to produce parts of differing designs.
“From there, the manufacturer can consider the amount to amortize and the design changes necessary across the part family,” Shinbara continues. “Do you expect a lot of changes, or is it a mass customization order of 10,000
DIE CAD GROUP
“Designing for the Future”
Designers of Progressive, Line and Transfer Dies
3D Catia UG/Catia Surfacing
Finite Element Analysis using PAM STAMP software
2D AutoCAD
3258 Clear Vista Court NE Grand Rapids, MI 49525 Ph: 616-365-2454 Fax: 616-365-1135
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parts that might fit well in a tradition- al stamping process? What if a 10,000- part order requires a design change and a change in tooling for each 100 or 1000 parts? That adds up to a significant tooling cost, whereas with additive manufacturing, given a printer fill chamber with enough volume to pro- duce that many parts, the part run is doable. In such cases, additive manu- facturing allows for mass customiza- tion at an affordable cost—that is where the business case for this tech- nology really shines. Manufacturers using traditional manufacturing meth-
ods, with education and familiarity, will start to realize such benefits.”
At that point, metalformers and other manufacturers can perform return-on-investment and amortiza- tion calculations while taking additive manufacturing into account. When an order arrives for a diverse part family, concern with tooling up for multiple jobs won’t necessarily take a metal- former out of the bid process. Beyond that, as the accompanying sidebars illustrate, additive manufacturing can provide solutions for a host of shop- floor challenges. MF