The Estes Accelerator Product Development & Prototyping team has added more capability with the addition of 3D printing technology to help streamline prototyping from concept to reality. The company’s new Bambu Lab X1E polymer filament 3D printer can produce tangible prototypes from CAD drawings in significantly less time without a full machining process. Estes Accelerator has always been in the business of giving customers back their most valuable resource: time!
Building parts one layer at a time
By depositing layers of plastic polymer, the X1E can print full-featured 3D parts without machine setups and production runs, greatly reducing time and production costs.
“CAD models are great, but they’re just images,” said Estes Product Development and Manufacturing Engineer Spencer Johnson. “Sometimes it’s better to get a tangible object in your hands to look at it and test it. Accelerator is all about rapid prototypes and with this 3D printer, you can quickly take ideas and transform them into parts.”
In addition to turning out solid parts quickly, prototyping with the 3D printer gives customers the opportunity to try new ideas and variations without changing an entire machining process. Differing dimensions, shapes and characteristics can be printed and tested quickly and efficiently before settling on a final product design.
Prototyping often goes through multiple cycles of design, review and re-design before ever even considering a physical prototype. This is often with the intention to minimize cost depending lead times for manufacturing. As a result, design teams experience the headache of multiple conversations returning to the drawing board for revisions without ever seeing a tangible prototype, just to ensure it is right. But with 3D printing, we can make multiple models throughout the design process at a fraction of the time and cost with the hope of speeding up the design process.
Though primarily used for prototyping, Johnson said the printer can also be used for low-quantity and small-batch production as well.
Dependable versatility
Equipped with a four-hopper Automatic Material System, the X1E can print parts composed of a variety of polymer filaments and colors individually or in combination. In addition to printing with polylactic acid (PLA), the X1E can print parts with a variety of filaments, including polycarbonate, polyamide (nylon), thermoplastic polyurethan (TPU) and carbon fiber infused polymers with micrometer precision.
Advanced connectivity allows the printer to be controlled and monitored remotely from a desktop computer, and lidar-based artificial intelligence inspects layers and warns of uncontrolled extrusions known as spaghetti that can ruin a project.
Commitment to continual improvement
In addition to its 3D printer technology, Estes Accelerator has also upgraded its laser sheet metal cutting process with a new Salvagnini L3 adaptive fiber laser. By continually improving its technology and processes, Estes is able to give its customers the competitive advantage they need for success in today’s fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Building on success
These latest investments in technology improve on an established track record of success. The Estes Accelerator team consistently delivers on reduced lead times and cost efficiencies. One global packing equipment supplier worked with Estes from concept to finished prototype and reduced lead time from six weeks to 10 days, cut costs by 25%, and improved its design for better manufacturability.
Now, Estes Accelerator has even more tools to fast-track your project and take it to the next level. Submit a Request for Quote today, and one of our engineers will be in touch to help bring your vision to life.
