Today’s tumbling economy requires that business and industry use money wisely. For a manufacturer, this means making sound product decisions and avoiding costly design revisions. With (DDM), a company can go directly from an electronic representation of a part to the final product, thus eliminating tooling. This can save significant cost and time, saving valuable resources for other activities.

In a tight economy, quality becomes even more important. Often product enhancements are key to keeping a company competitive. With DDM, product enhancements can be introduced in every production run without any re-tooling. DDM also can help a company increase its sales revenue by helping to get a product on the market sooner, and thus earning money faster. Time-to-market is a key competitive strategy, and with DDM, companies can accelerate their entire design, testing and manufacturing process.

DDM has the power to change fundamental business processes, reducing hundreds of thousands of dollars from upfront product launch costs, expediting manufacturing and adding efficiencies along the way. It truly has become the factory of the future.

More and more manufacturers are using additive fabrication for low-volume production, says Stratasys CEO Scott Crump. Its called direct digital manufacturing and its taking off faster than we thought it would. Industry observers believe this market will far surpass our current primary market of rapid prototyping and 3D printing applications. We have many competitors, but we believe we’re the best-positioned, because our FDM process produces accurate, durable thermoplastic parts.

For low-volume production, direct digital manufacturing can be a viable alternative to traditional manufacturing methods with several benefits:

• ROI can often be realized in a small number of projects
• Products get to market quicker
• No machining or tooling or associated costs
• No waiting for machining or tooling
• Inventory reduction: components can be made on demand
• Design can be changed during production with virtually no penalty
• Engineers can focus on creating the best design with no concern for manufacturability

The FDM 900mc is based on a new platform, distinct from previous FDM additive fabrication systems used for prototyping or production. Innovation in the extrusion head’s motion control system results in a marked improvement in predictability and repeatability. Positional accuracy and part tolerances are substantially improved over previous systems. The FDM 900mc’s build chamber measures 914mmx609mmx915mm Ñ far larger than other additive fabrication systems that produce plastic or metal parts.

Next STEPS
Phone Chris Whittington, Camplex Nz  06 836 7487 or visit camplex.co.nz.