3D printed grippers cost less and are quicker to manufacture

By switching from machined aluminium grippers to 3D printed versions made from igus iglidur i150 filament, a manufacturer of cosmetic products has reduced costs by up to 85 per cent and manufacturing time by 70 per cent.

Carecos Kosmetik GmbH, a contract manufacturer of cosmetic products, has its own packaging machines and, for each new product being packaged, teh company develops a specific gripper to pick up the lid and screw it onto the bottle. Previously an elaborate machining process was used to make the gripper from aluminium. Not only did that cost up to EUR10,000 per part, it also took six weeks to manufacture.

That is too long a wait in an industrial sector where, in the dawn of the Industry 4.0 era, it is increasingly important to be able to produce even small batches economically. For these reasons the company initially tried 3D printing the grippers using standard plastics such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and PLA (polylactide). However, the 3D printing processes did not provide satisfactory results; this is because almost all of the individual parts of the gripper are exposed to constant wear.

Carecos Kosmetik turned to igus for help and advice. With the tribologically optimised iglidur i150 filament, the company found a stable yet very impact-resistant material for 3D printing. Moreover, each gripper can be printed within just 10 to 12 hours. This has enabled the company to save up to 85 per cent of the cost and 70 per cent of the manufacturing time compared with machined aluminium parts. Compared with standard materials such as PLA, iglidur tribofilaments are up to 50 times more wear-resistant and can be processed on all standard 3D printers. An additional benefit for the company is that the plastic grippers are seven times lighter than their metal counterparts.

For more information about 3D printed iglidur tribofilaments go to www.igus.co.uk/3dprint.

igus (UK) Ltd

51A Caswell Road
Brackmills
Northampton
NN4 7PW
UNITED KINGDOM

+44 (0)1604 677240

sales@igus.co.uk

www.igus.co.uk

More applications
3 days ago
Cranfield University team up with the RBTX UK team
In this video you can see how Cranfield University and the Igus RBTX team came together, with a snapshot into the recent event that took place.
3 days ago
Lenze opens door to digitalisation at ITMA
Lenze is using ITMA as a platform to showcase how textile machine providers can exploit the opportunities of digitalisation and be ready for future challenges with today’s solutions.
3 days ago
New Norgren website offers extended self-serve functionality
Norgren has launched its enhanced global website, offering customers improved functionality that includes the ability to select, order and track products on a ‘self-serve’ basis.
5 days ago
Spelsberg UK announces nationwide roadshow and open day
Spelsberg UK is excited to announce its “Spelsberg on the Road” roadshow. A state-of-the-art tour bus, equipped with a working showroom, will visit numerous locations across the country beginning late May.
5 days ago
Single controller for robot and machine axes optimises productivity
Installing a robotic pick-and-place and integrated conveyor solution has increased productivity for a pharmaceutical manufacturer while maintaining regulatory compliance. Combining a vision system optimised for accuracy that assures end-to-end traceability, a single controller from Trio manages both the robot and conveyor axes, increasing reliability for the end user.
6 days ago
Schaeffler rewards suppliers for outstanding performance
Schaeffler presented 19 of its suppliers with the Schaeffler Supplier Award at the Supplier Day in Herzogenaurach, Germany, in honour of their exceptional performance.
6 days ago
Educational programme announced for Manufacturing and Engineering Week
With just under two weeks until Manufacturing and Engineering Week 2023 and its centrepiece exhibitions open their doors on 7th and 8th of June at Birmingham’s NEC, the full educational programme has been announced.
6 days ago
Streamlining banding machines for sustainable packaging
When sustainable bundling and banding solutions company Bandall faced the challenge of using different sensors for detecting various product formats, it turned to Omron for a solution.
6 days ago
Acorn partners with Bosch Rexroth
Acorn has announced its appointment as an LT Solution Partner for Bosch Rexroth Linear Motion Technology. Rexroth offers a very wide range of linear motion solutions, from a single component to multi-axis complete systems.
1 week ago
See the latest and greatest in Machine Vision Technology at MVC 2023
Now in its seventh year, the Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition is recognised as the leading machine vision trade show worldwide. This year’s show will feature an exciting range of new machine vision technology including the latest products from leading companies.

Login / Sign up