Customer Profile
With the help of Stratasys FDM 3D Printing, Moog Aircraft Group, a global leader in supplying advanced manufacturing solutions, is experiencing impressive efficiency in designing for a modern world while enjoying up to 87% cost savings for CMM fixtures depending on the fixture.
Challenge
Moog relied on outsourcing production of all their tooling and fixtures which was costly and time-consuming as they would take at least four to six weeks to produce in excess of £2,000.
Solutions
Following a cost-versus-benefit analysis, 3D printing became a viable option because of the speed of production and low part costs.
Upon further review, Moog settled on the Stratasys Fortus 380mc which produced CMM fixtures that met their needs and budget that would cost just a few hundred pounds and take approximately 20 hours.The 380mc has now near-full utilization in the production of CMM inspection fixtures, as it runs almost 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Impact
Moog is also enjoying designing parts with complexity and using materials like ASA - a UV-stable thermoplastic that is stable to temperature and ultraviolet light, strong, and has a high-quality surface finish.
There is also greater efficiency as Moog also relies on Stratasys SR-30 and SR-100 soluble support materials for automated, hands-free removal. Printed parts are put into the cleaning tank to dissolve the soluble support material, and the fixtures are then stored next to the machines for ease of use.
The ability to try a design idea, test it and redesign it accordingly in a matter of hours, rather than weeks, has seen us improve work holding and reduce the occurrence of manual handling damage throughout the production processes.
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