- 3D printing now is delivering time and
cost reductions of up to 90 percent, throughout the Schneider
Electric manufacturing process, including injection molds,
manufacturing tool prototypes and product prototypes
- The French multi-national is also
exploring the 3D printing of spare parts and low volume part
production
Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq:SSYS), the 3D printing and additive
manufacturing solutions company, has announced that French
multi-national corporation, Schneider Electric, has worked with
Stratasys to include 3D printing into its manufacturing processes
for both short and longer term efficiency goals.
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Schneider Electric leverages Stratasys 3D
printers for prototyping and manufacturing applications to improve
production efficiencies and gain cost and time improvements (Photo:
Business Wire).
Specializing in electricity distribution, automation management
and the production of installation components for energy
management, Schneider Electric is using a combination of Stratasys
PolyJet and FDM based 3D Printing solutions for product
development, prototypes and industrialization. This comprises
multiple applications, including injection molding and
assembly-line tooling, the design and production of which is
managed via the company’s internal model shop, Openlab.
Video: Learn how Schneider Electric
has transformed its manufacturing efficiencies with Stratasys 3D
printing and is looking to build its Factory of the Future
The immediate savings sum up to 90 percent in both time and
money since deploying Stratasys 3D printing solutions across its
production operations in Grenoble, France.
“This year, Schneider will launch around 400 new solutions,
which is more than one a day,” says Sylvain Gire, Vice-President
GSC Transformation-Industrialization at Schneider Electric.
“Therefore, it is critical that we adopt technologies that help us
reduce time-to-market.”
The combination of dramatic financial savings and a greatly
enhanced workflow achievable from incorporating Stratasys 3D
printing into the process has contributed to the plant’s overall
manufacturing efficiencies and reduced the time-to-market in key
areas.
3D printed injection molds for prototyping designs in their
final materials instead of aluminumAccording to Sylvain Gire,
the company has slashed the cost of producing injection mold
inserts used for prototyping designs to just 100 euros with
Stratasys 3D printing, compared to 1000 euros when manufacturing
the same item in aluminum.
“As well as the astronomical cost-saving enjoyed from 3D
printing injection molds, we’ve also drastically cut the time taken
to produce them, so we’re looking at a win-win every time,” he
adds. “Manufacturing the prototype molds in aluminum necessitates –
in some cases – a lead time of as much as two months, but with
Stratasys’ 3D printing solutions, the whole process is completed
within a week. That’s a roughly 90 percent saving again, which
would be unfathomable with any other technology.”
Efficient design and engineering of assembly-line
toolingThese benefits also extend to Schneider Electric’s
mechanical design and engineering department, which is tasked with
the production of assembly, control and adjustment tools for its
diverse product range. This has seen the company utilize Stratasys
3D printing to produce prototype jigs and fixtures to validate the
ergonomics and functionality of the final assembly tools.
“We are increasingly using 3D printing to design and engineer
assembly-line tools for validation – thereby saving time in the
production of the final tools,” explains department manager, Yann
Sittarame.
Using Stratasys’ Connex multi-material 3D printing technology,
Yann and his team can produce new manufacturing tool prototypes in
just one week. In the past, it would have taken at least three
weeks to produce the same tools using conventional CNC machining,
which amounts to a substantial time-saving of approximately 70
percent.
“This technology has changed the way we work and changes the way
we think about doing things in the future,” he adds. “Looking
ahead, we plan to 3D print the final tools, which is perfectly
achievable given the accuracy and durability of our 3D printing
process.”
Factory of the FutureAccording to Sylvain Gire, Schneider
Electric is firmly committed to its goal of creating the Factory of
the Future and sees Stratasys as a key partner and enabler to
realize this.
“We started utilizing Stratasys 3D printing a few years ago for
prototyping our new solutions,” he says. “We will continue to
leverage Stratasys 3D printing solutions for the ongoing
development of our tooling process, predominantly for the
production of small quantities of new products. We’ll also shortly
be looking to use Stratasys’ 3D printing solutions for final
production, such as for spare parts or for low-volume
requirements.”
“Schneider Electric’s innovative use of 3D printing in their
current manufacturing processes and as a key strategy in their
Factory of the Future program epitomizes their leadership in global
connected energy management,” says Andy Middleton, President,
Stratasys, EMEA. “By partnering with blue chip companies like
Schneider Electric, Stratasys is able to demonstrate the strategic
value of additive manufacturing and help companies optimize their
supply chain efficiencies while bringing better products to market,
faster.”
For more than 25 years, Stratasys Ltd.
(NASDAQ:SSYS) has been a defining force and dominant player in
3D printing and additive manufacturing – shaping the way things are
made. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Rehovot, Israel,
the company empowers customers across a broad range of vertical
markets by enabling new paradigms for design and manufacturing. The
company’s solutions provide customers with unmatched design freedom
and manufacturing flexibility – reducing time-to-market and
lowering development costs, while improving designs and
communications. Stratasys subsidiaries include MakerBot and
SolidScape, and the Stratasys ecosystem includes 3D printers for
prototyping and production; a wide range of 3D printing materials;
parts on-demand via Stratasys Direct Manufacturing; strategic
consulting and professional services; the GrabCAD platform with
over 3 million professional users; and the Thingiverse and GrabCAD
communities with over 2 million 3D printable files for free
designs. With more than 2,700 employees and 800 granted or pending
additive manufacturing patents, Stratasys has received more than 30
technology and leadership awards. Visit us online at:
www.stratasys.com or http://blog.stratasys.com/, and follow us on
LinkedIn.
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