Experiment Your Way to New Applications
Currier Plastics added a 3D printer a few years ago as a tool in its design department for part engineering development, and has printed about 425 bottles, jars, canisters, closures and lids. But the real story is that they are still finding new uses for the technology.
Currier Plastics added an Objet 30 model 3D printer a few years ago as a tool in its design department for part engineering development, and has printed about 425 bottles, jars, canisters, closures and lids. But the real story is that they are still finding new uses for the technology.
According to Gary Kieffer, VP of New Product Development, they've had a few occasions where they've utilized the 3D printer for jobs other than product development. "First, our Design and QA teams collaborated to make a GD&T, a holding fixture for a new custom bottle we designed. This fixture will help to simplify part inspection and would normally have cost at least $1,200 to manufacture. Then our automation engineer was working on a modification for a cap closing station. The vendor sent in the base plate and flipper bar models and we printed them overnight and validated the re-design, saving not only cost but also shaved about two weeks off the unit tools lead time."
Currier Plastics continues to experiment more and more with its 3D Printer, noting it is worth its weight in gold.
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