3D PRINTING IS AN IDEAL SOLUTION FOR PRODUCING MISSING OR UNAVAILABLE PARTS
Customized production of spare parts by 3D printing is a dynamically developing area with huge potential in various industries thus it can also be found in our AFINIS FLEX®. product line
THE AFINIS FLEX® PRODUCT LINE OFFERS:
✔ 3D MODELING – 3D modeling of parts and their design are necessary steps in the preparation of documents for any production technology. We create professional 3D models from technical drawings based on a sample, sketch or description of application.
✔ 3D SCANNING – In order to create an exact digital copy of the physical part we use a 3D scanner and manually edit models based on measurements. We modify and optimize the modeled 3D part depending on your needs or requirements.
✔ PRODUCTION OF PROTOTYPES BY 3D PRINTING – Production of prototypes by 3D printing is one of the most important application of this technology. It enables fast and efficient creation and testing of physical models of new products which speeds up the design and development process.
✔ PRODUCTION OF A SPARE PART – With 3D printing we are able to produce quickly, efficiently and custom-made spare parts that are difficult to find, financially demanding or are no longer produced at all.
✔ MODIFICATION OF AN EXISTING PART – Modifying an existing part with 3D printing is a great solution if you need to optimize or efficiently adapt the part to specific needs.
Nowadays, 3D printing is a modern, efficient, affordable and extremely fast production method in the production of prototypes, parts or low-volume components. It enables the production of customized products, reduces costs and time required for production and moreover, it offers new opportunities for innovation.
ADVANTAGES OF MANUFACTURING THE MISSING COMPONENT BY 3D PRINTING
1. Speed – 3D printing enables rapid production of the missing component.
2. Cost efficiency – there is no need to keep a high stock of spare parts, because the
missing components can be printed at any time as needed.
3. Flexibility and adaptation – flexible adaptation of the design of the manufactured component to specific needs and the necessary modification compared to the original part for its better performance or longer life is no problem with 3D printing.
4. Simple replaceability of unavailable parts – 3D printing allows easy replacement of components that are no longer produced or difficult to get or very expensive.
5. Environmental friendliness and sustainability – 3D printing uses only the material necessary to create the component, which, compared to classical production methods, reduces the amount of waste and turns it into an ecological production method. Recycled or biodegradable materials can be used in 3D printing which leads to sustainability.
The above mentioned advantages make 3D printing the ideal solution for fast and efficient production of missing components in various industries.
3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY
As part of 3D printing, we use FDM printing technology, which is currently the best-known and most widespread 3D printing technology. It consists in the layering of thermoplastic material in the form of melted wire or fiber, while at the end of this process a full three-dimensional object with excellent mechanical properties and chemical resistance is created. In simple terms, in FDM printing, a plastic string is melted and applied to the printing pad via a nozzle.
In order to achieve composite products of extremely high strength we use CFF technology that strengthens the basic plastic material by layering continuous fibers of Kevlar, glass or carbon fibers.
Thanks to the combination of FDM and CFF technologies, it is possible to produce composites that are suitable even for the most demanding applications, while the strength of the parts is comparable to aluminum. At the same time, the products are significantly lighter, thanks to the inner filling and the density of the materials. It is a low-cost alternative to CNC machining, because of minimal waste at low operational technological costs.
OFFER OF SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCTS
Our offer ranges from basic simple materials with lower temperature resistance to technical plastics with various fillers (kevlar, glass, carbon…). For 3D printing production we use for example ABS, ASA, Nylon, PLA, PETG, PETG-CF, PA-CF, TPE 32D , TPU 92A, PC, PU and others.
APPLICATION
With 3D printing we produce various parts in the form of covers, pulleys, gears, spare parts for cars and motorcycles, turn signals, parts for water sports, skid plates, markings, original parts for marketing purposes, control elements (buttons, sliders, ..) and much more.
We can combine 3D printing with our production of AFINIS GASKET® flat seals and AFINIS EXPRESS® rotary seals.. The resulting products are coated gaskets, nuts, clamping devices, assembly devices and other products.
If you find 3D printing and its advantages interesting, do not hesitate to contact us. Our sales representatives will be happy to advise you.