A client employs a legacy forming tool in their machinery used for bending steel bar. Operating on tight production schedules, lead time of the forming tool is around 2 months; it's imperative for the client to maintain a higher than required stock of the part in their inventory to avoid losses and operational delays resulting from tool breakdowns.
- Objective: Reduce Lead Time & Inventory Holding Cost
- Solution: Weight Optimization & 3D Print-on-Demand Solution
- Customer: Steel Industry
Main Objective
To reduce the lead time and inventory cost using a 3D print-on-demand solution. Scope also includes light-weighting the part for further reduction in cost.
3D Printing Solution Approach
Immensa Technology Labs' engineering team prepared the CAD file of the conventional part using scanning and reverse engineering processes. Material testing was undertaken to gather information about material properties, and after evaluation, Maraging Steel was selected and qualified as the optimal 3D printing material for this specific part. Subsequently, the properties and materials selected were matched with the best-fit 3D printing technology, which was DMLS, and accordingly our team selected the EOS M290 to additively manufacture the part. Heat treatment was done after the 3D printing was complete to achieve the exact properties as the conventional part.
For weight optimization, FEA simulations were performed applying appropriate boundary conditions and operating external forces on the part. The final optimized design resulted in a weight reduction of 25% compared to the conventional part and complies well with the operating strength requirements of the part.
Weight optimization also reduced the cost of 3D printing by 20% compared to 3D printing like-to-like. The lead time is now 3 days compared to the earlier 2 months.
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