Today, they find that they are able to meet the needs of clients much more expansively, thanks to additive manufacturing. The benefits of this technology are solid, and nearly every one of them is relevant to the services they provide, offering incredible customization options, speed in production and fast turnaround, high quality, independence in production, and one great bonus—a better bottom line.
Using SLA, the Spanish company tried numerous materials, but after evaluation of all of them, settled on Somos PerFORM as the best. This material was designed with excellence in prototyping in mind and is manufactured by DSM, a global life sciences and materials sciences company active in health, nutrition and materials. This company is a leader in making high-performance materials, so it only makes sense that companies like Wehl & Partner would end up turning to them for a product like Somos PerFORM.
“We tried creating the tool with digital printing (PolyJet) and stereolithography and the only technology that worked for the tooling application was SL with Somos PerFORM,” said Javier Garcia, CEO for Wehl & Partner Iberica. “Somos PerFORM is the only additive manufacturing polymer material where you can inject with real conditions with mold temperatures up to 120 degrees celsius.”
Success with this technology and materials is the culmination of two companies partnering and truly combining their expertise in understanding of the best materials to use, processes, and the art of design. This knowledge is crucial to retaining the life of a mold, which centers around what is injected into it. When injected with soft materials, the mold has a longer lifespan due to the milder materials; when using something like a glass-based material, the tool simply does not last as long.
“If the mold is designed properly, you can produce up to 40 to 50 parts using a thirty percent glass fiber filled material without problems,” said Garcia.
“Our customers are delighted because you can send parts out in a few days. The process speeds up the process to one to two weeks versus five to seven weeks,” said Garcia. “This product and process combination buys you time. You are not buying parts, you are buying time.”
As a bonus, they are most definitely gaining access to new technology that allows for high quality tools to make end-use parts, the ability to approve designs quickly, and allow for new projects to begin more quickly as a result. Overall, the whole process lends to better products—and better business. Discuss in the 3D Printed Tools forum over at 3DPB.com.