The best way to demonstrate the transformative benefits of 3D post-print automation is through a customer’s real-world success story. This prominent consumer goods company utilizes multiple additive manufacturing technologies within their prototyping department. With volumes ramping annually, the department of just 2 engineers churns out almost 20,000 prints per year! The majority of those prints are on their Objet printer, which are also their most difficult to post-print.
The engineers employ several post-print methods. For Objet prints, the team performs manual bulk removal, followed by water jetting, followed by a scouring pad to get the bonding layer off. For parts with internal geometries, dental instruments are used to clear passages. Most of the Objet parts have internal geometries, with tight tolerances and S-shaped channels that typically range from 6 to 12-inches internal length. They especially have problems with many smaller parts at high quantities, as water jetting is not an option so supports are removed by hand.
After benchmarking multiple part geometries, the PostProcess DEMI 800 support removal solution demonstrated remarkable performance and clear benefits. Its software-driven automation ensured unparalleled consistency and exponential throughput, giving hours of time back to the team on a weekly basis. A small, high volume Objet part that typically took technicians 2-3 minutes per part to finish by hand was now finished in the DEMI 800 in batches of up to 200 parts at a time in a 4 hour automated cycle with 5 minutes of technician time.
Time is money in business, of course. The customer’s savings on Objet prints alone amounted to hundreds of hours per year and resulted in a compelling ROI on the machine solution investment. As they expand into automation for their SLA and FDM post-printing, the DEMI 800 is the perfect choice with its flexibility for use with multiple polymer-based 3D print technologies.
-> Return to Blog Homepage
-> Want to learn more? Contact Us