Aaron Johnson, Aaron Johnson, VP of Marketing and Customer Strategy, Accumold
Even two years ago, if the discussion had been whether additive manufacturing (AM) was disrupting the way that micro and precision plastics parts were being produced, there would have been a resounding chorus of “no”.
For sure, for over 25 years, AM has been disrupting traditional “macro” scale manufacturing, initially producing rapid prototypes, and more recently competing as an alternative production technology. But the attainable and repeatable micron level resolution required when looking for a technology that could compete with / complement micro molding was not possible through the use of AM, and so the micro manufacturing sector was unable to benefit from the inherent process advantages that existed through the use of industrial 3D printing.
That was until recently. Because now, after much pain-staking R&D, commercially viable micro-AM technologies do exist that are able to repeatably achieve micron tolerances. For a micro molding company such as Accumold, these technologies broaden the services that can be offered for clients constantly requiring the production of innovative and cutting-edge micro plastic parts and components in anything from prototype to mass production volumes.
Accumold has invested in the Nano Dimension Fabrica 2.0 micro-AM technology.
Nano Dimension has focussed its resources into the development of a commercially viable mass production AM platform specifically for micro manufacturing applications, and so as such has pioneered a technology that facilitates process change in the micro manufacturing arena. For the first time, micro manufacturers can now realistically assess a shift to AM from conventional manufacturing processes as they attempt to push the envelope in terms of innovation. OEMs can therefore benefit from the inherent advantages that AM offers in terms of promoting part complexity with no increase in cost, eliminating the needs for expensive tooling, reducing part counts and the need for assembly, speeding product development time, easy revision of part design, mass customization, reduction in waste, and reduction in energy costs.
The Fabrica 2.0 micro-AM system combines innovation in materials, software, and hardware to allow the repeatable mass manufacture of micro parts and components with micron-scale features. Today it is a viable technology for manufacturers in the areas of micro optics, semi-conductors, micro electronics, MEMS, micro fluidics, and life sciences, making products such as casing for micro-electronics, micro springs, micro actuators and micro sensors, and numerous medical components such as micro valves, micro syringes, and micro implantable or surgical devices.
Beyond direct manufacturing per se, Nano Dinemsion has devoted significant time and resource to the production of direct rapid soft tooling (DRST). Molds typically take about an hour to manufacture, cost in the order of $20, and have been used successfully on a traditional 35-ton injection moulding machine using pressures of 400 bar at 230oC. Multiple soft tools can also be made together.
Specifically for Accumold, for 30 years plus providing a world-leading micro molding, the hugely impressive technology that Nano Dimension has developed will in short order add significant possibilities for its customers. With the Fabrica 2.0 Accumold can already cater for customers requiring low to medium sized runs economically, as the same economies of scale do not exist when using AM as opposed to traditional molding technologies. With the Fabrica 2.0, the company can also create micro parts with geometric complexity either impossible or prohibitively expensive using the micro molding process.
However, it is in the area of direct rapid soft tooling (DRST) that huge future opportunities exist. DRST unlocks new business possibilities for Accumold and its customers as up until this point the company has been restricted to the use of long lead time and expensive traditionally manufactured mold tools for the achievement of any volume of molding, from prototype runs all the way through to mass manufacture. The Fabrica 2.0 stimulates the business case for a process chain that includes DRST, with the possibility of dramatically shorter lead times from file to injected part and at costs reduced from thousands of dollars to tens.
This will be a game changer for some of our customers.
For many years, the micro manufacturing sector has been keeping an eye on AM / industrial 3D printing to see how the technology may be of use. Accumold is truly excited about what the micro-AM has to offer, and sees its incorporation into its facilities as an important strategic move which will further reinforce its market-leading credentials in the micro molding arena. It also plays to the fact that the future of AM is not as a replacement to traditional manufacturing processes that is used daily, but instead is a complementary technology that adds to the agility and versatility of its product development services.
