Innovative Materials and On-Demand Production Create Cost-Effective Equipment Parts
Reducing overhead costs through Additive Manufacturing resulting in both flexibility of design and reduced production time
Peridot, Inc. is a full-service advanced manufacturing service bureau with a broad range of capabilities and engineering experience, was called upon to support its customer to solve a problem in the field on existing equipment. Tasked with a very short timeline and design constraints of retrofitting existing components in the field, Peridot utilized additive manufacturing (AM) and the BASF polypropylene material to meet the application demands.
This innovative material was the ideal solution to ensure that part met the outdoor temperature requirements of approximately -29 to 49 degrees Celsius as well as ability to withstand direct exposure to high pressure water, vibration standards for heavy duty trucks and road debris. The first design version was implemented in the field with a savings of over $35,000 and 16 weeks as compared to conventional manufacturing techniques. Upon expanded field implementation, an improved design was quickly integrated into the assembly after a 2-day change-over period in the AM process. With several hundred components currently performing well in the field, this small series application will continue to be utilized in the future.
Table of Content
Project Breakdown
Industry
Construction Equipment
Material / Product
PP 1200 enabled by BASF Forward AM / Air Duct
Why Forward AM?
Perfect-fit material and best price-performance
The result
A cost-effective part requiring minimal overhead and inventory
Challenge:
A specific area on the truck assembly was allowing high pressure water to enter and affect vehicle performance. Peridot was tasked to find a product solution that would avoid the cost for a complex tool or capital expenditure while providing options allowing the customer to address issues in the field more quickly while also being able to expediently respond to running design changes.
Solution:
Utilizing precision 3D printing with PP 1200 enabled by BASF Forward AM, an advanced polypropylene powder suitable for a wide range of innovative applications
PP 1200 enabled by BASF Forward AM harnesses the properties of polyolefins for Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) technologies, making the rapid printing of individualized and functional serial production parts a reality. Peridot utilized this material to create an air duct with the durability and flexibility required by the end user while meeting all objectives regarding cost, function, and consistency.
Working in collaboration with Prodways, Peridot utilized SLS technology which offers a large build platform and an unmatched flexibility to deliver top-quality industrial performance.
Result:
An industry acceptable functional and adaptable part requiring minimal overhead costs for the end customer.
By utilizing the principles of Additive Manufacturing, Peridot avoided the prolonged 16-week production process and a $35K tool cost of traditional injection molding. This allowed for minimal inventory overhead resulting in significantly reduced capital expenditures while producing a curative solution for less than $30 per piece. In choosing PP 1200 enabled by BASF Forward AM, this innovative material met the stringent part requirements for use in the cold and harsh exterior temperatures in the northern U.S. while offering the durability needed to last in the challenging environments of the transportation and construction industries.
“This is an ideal application for using industrial level AM with a truly functional material like polypropylene, as it allowed Peridot to produce a viable end-use solution while providing our customer multiple levels of value in the way of cost and time savings as well as ample design latitude.”
Dave Hockemeyer, President of Peridot, Inc.
Share this page
Next Steps
Reference Links and Documents
Get in touch
Do you have questions about our materials, technologies or services? Get in touch now!
