A global cable management systems manufacturer has tapped into the power of additive manufacturing to transform its end-of-arm tooling capability.
HellermannTyton, which employs 100 people at its factory in Wythenshawe, switched from a traditional manufacturing process to creating its tools on a Stratasys Fortus 450 3D printer from SYS Systems.
It has proved a wise decision with the company able to use the new technology to significantly reduce operational costs and speed up cycle times, as well as creating flexible tooling that can be sold to sister companies in Morocco and South Africa.
“Switching end-of-arm tooling to additive manufacturing and bringing this part of the process in-house has been a gamechanger,” explained Wajahat Muhammad, automation project engineer at HellermannTyton.
“To date, we have used the Fortus 450 to print 38 different tools that, collectively, have successfully completed tens of millions of cycles, producing billions of basic ties and bespoke fixings.”
He continued: “On average, we are looking at weight savings and lead time reductions of up to 50 per cent, and cost savings of up to 75 per cent. Having complete control of the printing also means we can make iterations in a few days rather than a few weeks if it had to go to an outside supplier.”
At the start of the process the HellermannTyton automation project team was concerned whether additive manufacturing could produce a tool that was strong enough to withstand the rigours and weight of the cycles.
The company had previously dismissed plastic as they felt the strength through the layers was not there, but working with SYS Systems’ technical team gave them the opportunity to explore a new solution.
“It’s really important to have access to experts when you are introducing a new technology and discussions quickly led to trying nylon 12 carbon filled material,” added Wajahat.
“This got us thinking and, working with SYS Systems, we developed a trial end-of-arm tool that we tested in a real-world environment. It didn’t take long for our initial ‘strength’ fears to be dispelled and led to us happily pressing the button on a £150,000 investment into the Fortus 450.”
SYS Systems, which is part of the advanced manufacturing solutions provider Carfulan Group, is increasingly working with existing and new clients to replace ageing processes with new additive manufacturing technology.
In addition to having accesses to some of the world’s most efficient printers, it can also call upon 3D printing experts who provide wraparound support for installation, training and ongoing maintenance.
Wajahat continued: “We were all pleasantly surprised at how quickly the machine could be installed and up and running.
“A combination of the Fortus 450 ease-of-use GrabCAD software and expert training for our project team meant we were printing within a week, producing tooling that continues to support the manufacture of 34 different types of cable management systems.”
SYS Systems’ Chris Andrews added his support: “The freedom that design additive manufacturing allows has enabled HellermannTyton to service, set-up and maintain the tools significantly quicker than the ones it used in the past.
“This saves considerable amount of downtime – previously two to three hours whereas printed tools are less than one hour for example.”
He concluded: “The firm is also enjoying reduced automation time cycles due to the lighter payload of the end-of-arm tool, which means effectively running robots faster, optimising output and increasing productivity in manufacturing.”
HellermannTyton’s foray into 3D printing has also seen it design and manufacture parts on the Fortus 450 for use in the back end of its automation packaging machinery.
For further information, please visit www.sys-uk.com or www.carfulan.com
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