Customer Case Study // Preventing Line Down Situation

“Unplanned downtime in manufacturing is one of the largest causes of lost productivity, causing delays, unhappy customers and lost revenue. In fact, the problem costs industrial manufacturers an estimated��$50 billion each year, according to recent studies.”-Forbes.com

�鶹��ýӳ�� understands that many companies��are experiencing supply chain-related delays, but that doesn’t have to be the case. �鶹��ýӳ�� can provide quick turnaround low-to-mid volume production parts to prevent costly line down situations.

�鶹��ýӳ��’s speed, engineering expertise and��comprehensive capabilities kept a leading recreational��vehicle manufacturer from going into a line down situation.��Their international supplier��was not able to produce two critical vehicle components, so �鶹��ýӳ�� stepped in to provide a��high-quality domestic��manufacturing solution while successfully navigating��PPAP in��2.5 weeks to deliver the needed parts.

Talk to an Expert //

�鶹��ýӳ�� accelerates manufacturing innovation��for��the most product-driven companies in the world.​Talk to an expert today��to solve your supply chain shortages.
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60-Year-Old Technology Reimagined In 6 Days
To Build COVID Ventilators

The��COVID-19 pandemic��has united countless individuals,��communities��and businesses��in the fight to stop the proliferation of the virus.��Businesses��like���鶹��ýӳ����and��, have leveraged their��advanced��engineering expertise��to��manufacture��critical medical��supplies.��

���鶹��ýӳ��’s COVID Response ��//3D Print to Help Medical Community

Spiked Demand
Soon after the pandemic��took hold,��Air Logic was hit with an enormous��increase in��orders for a specific ventilator component—the diaphragm amplifier.��They had��produced the diaphragm amplifier since the 1960s,��but��due to low��annual��demand,��there was no��business��reason to make��improvements to the product��design or the��production��and��assembly processes��in decades.��When��COVID��hit, everything��changed.

With only a matter of weeks to deliver on the increased demand for lifesaving ventilator components, Air Logic reached out to their suppliers��– specifically �鶹��ýӳ�� –��to ask them to step up in a big way.��

“I first talked to �鶹��ýӳ�� on a Tuesday and I had a metal fixture in-hand on Saturday. You��������’t��beat execution like that! I look forward to the next project I get to work with them on,” says��John��Hayden, Air Logic Marketing Manager.��

Diaphragm amplifiers function much like a transistor in an electrical circuit. They amplify very low pressure to signal a much higher pressure. This feature��does��an excellent��job of��detecting pressure changes in a patient’s circuit on a ventilator.��Medical products undergo additional levels of testing and certifications��which��require��longer product development cycles.��There simply���ɲ�����’t��time to execute a traditional manufacturing product development cycle��which can take months to over a year to go��from��concept to production.��Air Logic knew they needed to��dramatically alter��their��production��process to meet��this new COVID-driven��demand.����

�鶹��ýӳ����Transforms��Air Logic’s Product Development��
Typically, the team at Air Logic can handle most engineering, design,��fabrication��and production needs in-house. However,��their��resources��were already��strapped��fulfilling other orders��while��still��maintaining safe operations. Hayden��reached out to the��additive��experts at �鶹��ýӳ����to bridge this critical gap.��

“�鶹��ýӳ�� delivered some serious value to us��this year during our ramp up and COVID-19 response,” states Hayden.����

�鶹��ýӳ�� immediately took up the call��and started working��collaboratively��with Air Logic��to��determine a way to combine two of the assembly processes into one. Reducing��the number of assembly steps��would eliminate double handing,��rework��and reduce production time.��Hayden provided the��initial��idea which the team at �鶹��ýӳ�� took from concept to physical tooling in just days.����

By focusing on how a product should function rather than how������’s��made, companies can drive greater innovation and push the limits of manufacturing.���鶹��ýӳ�� promotes an “outside-in” approach��for manufacturing��–��whether��traditionally, additively or a��hybridized approach.��

�鶹��ýӳ��’s Rapid Manufacturing Methodologies //Learn More

Delivering��Multi-Tech & Materials��with Speed��&��Superior Quality��

Production��//��

• Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS)��3D Printed Parts����
• CNC��Finishing����

Turnaround��Process ��//��

• Solid��Modeling��
• Design��Reviews��
• Construction��
• Assembly����
• Delivery��

The first fixture, printed with��an��Aluminum Alloy,��got Air Logic started,��but they soon realized they��needed to make some improvements. �鶹��ýӳ�� updated the design and material��based on their learnings.��

The next two fixtures were��printed using��Stainless Steel��which dramatically improved assembly and testing time.��These��revised��fixtures have held up to the wear and tear of over 50,000 operations��to date.��

John Hayden, Marketing Manager for Air Logic, explains how �鶹��ýӳ�� helped transform a decades-old technology in just days to answer a dramatic increase in product demand driven by COVID medical needs.

Working with �鶹��ýӳ�� provides immediate and comprehensive access to the most relevant equipment and experience in advanced manufacturing,��engineering��and prototyping.���鶹��ýӳ����simply brings��it all together. We boldly make the investments in our business and leverage our expertise to problem solve and deliver high-efficiency outcomes every time for our customers.������

Special thanks to��John Hayden, Marketing Manager,��and��Mara Alvarez, Marketing Assistant��at Air��Logic��and the entire �鶹��ýӳ�� team.��

DMLS Parts��In��As Soon As 3 Days��//��

Thermoplastic Polyurethane Powder for Selective Laser Sintering

�鶹��ýӳ�� offers a new flexible material option for 3D Printing with Selective Laser Sintering.����

�鶹��ýӳ�� has partnered with to drive innovative product offerings and give our customers more material options. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) with Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) is now available with the flexible and durable Ultrasint® TPU 88A.��

SLS TPU is yet another additive technology offered by �鶹��ýӳ��. We have over 450,000 square feet of manufacturing space spread across the country giving customers access to an extensive slate of digital manufacturing technologies including PolyJet, Fused Deposition Modeling, and Multi Jet Fusion. TPU forming is also available with Urethane Casting.��

Ultrasint® TPU 88A is a versatile, elastomeric material that offers great shock absorption and rebound. SLS TPU parts will have a rubber-like feel and a smooth white surface. TPU 88A is resistant to water with high UV stability making it a good material choice for items that may come into contact with the elements. This elastic material is used to make industrial tubes, pipes, consumer footwear, sports equipment, and automotive components. TPU SLS parts can be made for prototyping proposes or as a production material for end-use parts.

What is SLS?

SLS is an additive technology used to build parts layer-by-layer. The process starts with a digital model of the part in a Computer Aided Design (CAD) file. The SLS machine uses the CAD file to direct a powerful laser into a powder bed over the build plate. The laser traces the shape of the object, melting or sintering the plastic powder together. The build plate is then lowered and covered with more plastic powder. The laser then fuses the new layer to the previous layer. This process is repeated until the part is complete. The part is then excavated from the powder bed. Excess powder is shaken from the part before it is sent for further cleaning and post processing if required. Leftover powder can be reclaimed and used for another project.

�鶹��ýӳ�� has a fleet of SLS machines, including several large-format printers capable of producing over-sized parts. Speak to our experts about your next project or get started with an .��

For our Complete SLS Materials Options // SLS��

Companies trust the �鶹��ýӳ�� team with low- and high-volume projects because of our award-winning expertise, quality, and speed. Our accelerated manufacturing capabilities allow for next day turnaround on SLS TPU parts. Running our 3D printing machines 24/7 enables us to meet tight deadlines while maintaining precise specifications. machinery that further expedites and scales our 3D production capacity. This patented technology achieves a surface quality for thermoplastic polymer 3D parts that rivals injection molding. Large batches of parts can be run simultaneously and do not require any additional steps after the 90 to 120 minute process time.��

Application Example // Industrial Tubes and Pipes

• Water tight down to 0.6 mm wall thickness.
• High burst pressure (e.g. 7.4 bar at 3 mm wall thickness).
• Good resistance to water and various chemicals.
• Readily implemented material model allows for further part optimization via BASF Ultrasim® simulation and design services.

�鶹��ýӳ�� is fueled by cutting-edge technology, with the speed and agility to provide the most impactful, on-demand manufacturing in the industry. Speak with our experts to find out how we may be able to reduce cost and cut turnaround time.