Valiant TMS develops intelligent production automation systems for automotive and aircraft manufacturing companies worldwide. Valiant TMS leverages current technologies, such as additive manufacturing, to meet its customer’s requirements, and the Valiant TMS Additive Manufacturing Lab has multiple systems capable of printing polymer and metal.
A new hand tool used to attach an auto A-pillar door latch required a combination of ergonomics, strength, and minimal weight. Engineers wanted to 3D print the tool since it would meet these requirements better than a machined metal alternative. However, an essential aspect of the ergonomic design was achieving a very smooth, no-defect surface finish in a material that would provide sufficient strength.
The Valiant TMS Additive Manufacturing Lab chose to print the latch tool with the Origin One 3D printer using advanced digital light processing (DLP) P3 technology. The Origin One offered benefits on multiple fronts, including a broad range of materials and an injection mold-like surface finish. In addition, engineers used Dura56, a photopolymer material developed by Loctite® specifically for the Stratasys Origin One, for its quick print speed and high impact toughness. P3 technology on the Origin One is also more isotropic, offering higher strength than non-isotropic additive methods.
Download the this use case in PDF format. You'll learn how Valiant TMS decreased print production time by 79% with a bonus of 78% cost savings compared to their prior methods.
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