3D printing increasingly important in (specialty) engineering

In the past years, 3D printing technology has rapidly developed to the current level of quality and printing speed. As a result, 3D printing offers increasing opportunities to various disciplines within the technical industry, including (specialty) engineering.

Since a number of years, SSEB has provided its customers with 3D printed products, but this technology also offers opportunities within our own engineering department. In the past years, the SSEB engineers have explored 3D printing opportunities.

Extensive testing through 3D printing
3D printing is particularly interesting for mechanical engineering. Especially in the case of specialty machines, that are usually designed only once. Here, an extensive testing program is essential. To accurately test parts during the development process, 3D printing is the technique of choice. It allows parts to be tested extensively and the engineer can easily make improvements.

Producing fast, accurately and economically
In addition to using 3D printed products for testing purposes, they are also used in our specialty machines. 3D printing offers a very fast, accurate and economical way of producing. In addition, it allows the production of complex shapes that cannot be realized with regular machining.

A good example is the application of a 3D shape integrated in a sprocket. It was a part of a machine, developed by SSEB engineers, to assemble 8-meter-long extrudes aluminum profiles with two PVC strips.

In this machine we had to singulate and separate long and flexible products. Because of the shape and its ever-changing orientation, this part was designed for this application. In combination with a smart camera a functional solution was thus developed.

Interested in what the SSEB engineers can do for you? Please contact us, without obligations.