{"id":4393,"date":"2019-11-13T11:54:47","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T04:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aie.com.vn\/?p=4393"},"modified":"2019-11-22T16:24:21","modified_gmt":"2019-11-22T09:24:21","slug":"dunlop-saves-thousands-of-dollars-a-year-applying-markforged-3d-printing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aiecomvn500.chiliweb.org\/en\/dunlop-saves-thousands-of-dollars-a-year-applying-markforged-3d-printing\/","title":{"rendered":"Dunlop saves thousands of dollars a year applying Markforged 3D printing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Multi award-winning<\/a>\u00a03D printer provider\u00a0Markforged<\/a>\u00a0announced that\u00a0Dunlop Systems and Components<\/a>, a UK-based automotive manufacturing company, has been using its machines to create custom tooling, saving thousands of dollars in the process.<\/p>\n

As its tooling division had become a bottleneck, Dunlop Systems purchased a Markforged desktop 3D printer in order to overcome problems associate with outsourcing custom production. In particular, the company is now reaping the benefits of its 3D printer to help bring an electric car to the market for a large automotive company.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince we\u2019ve had it, we\u2019ve never looked back. It\u2019s the best thing we\u2019ve ever bought,\u201d commented Mark Statham, Production and Engineering Manager at Dunlop Systems and Components.<\/p>\n

\u201cPEOPLE ARE SEEING TOOLING COMING ONTO THE SHOP FLOOR MORE FREQUENTLY THAN THEY EVER DID. I THINK THEY\u2019VE HAD MORE TOOLING IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS THAN IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Prototype
Prototype tooling. Photo via Markforged.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bringing 3D printed production operations in house<\/b><\/p>\n

Based in Coventry, Dunlop Systems and Components is an independent company formed in 2007 through a management buyout from\u00a0Trelleborg AB<\/a>, a Swedish polymer engineering firm. The company specializes in producing anti-vibration solutions for cars including automotive air suspension components and electronic control systems for OEM and aftermarket vehicle applications.<\/p>\n

Dunlop Systems houses a number of old machinery and in-house tooling at its facility that frequently need replacement. For this, typically the company would send internal and customer tools to a third-party toolmaker. This would often extend shipping-related lead times, and further delays as a result of customer design changes, inflating the costs, and sometimes creating losses. \u201cYou spend all that money and you wait two or three weeks for it to come in, and the customer then phones you up to tell you what they want changed,\u201d explains Statham.<\/p>\n

Seeking an alternative, Statham attended a seminar held by\u00a0Mark3D<\/a>, a UK reseller of Markforged 3D printers. \u201cI went along very open-minded, and as soon as I saw what the printers could do I thought, why can\u2019t we do our own tooling?,\u201d states Statham.<\/p>\n

There, he learned of the capabilities of Markforged\u2019s 3D printers. Statham identified the company\u2019s continuous carbon fiber as a suitable material for producing robust tooling strong enough to withstand corrosive environments.\u00a0\u00a0After discussing the 3D printer with the Dunlop Systems Director, a review was carried out to determine if the system would be a good fit for the company, resulting in the purchase of the Markforged 3D printer.<\/p>\n