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Industries & Applications

3D printed jigs and fixtures: getting the job done, better

Jig and fixture production is the heart of 3D printing in manufacturing, driving efficiency, accuracy, and safety gains.
Improved time to part.
Improved time to part.
FFF offers dramatic time savings compared to traditional techniques like CNC or injection molding. Take those gains even further with AquaSys® water-soluble support material.
Broader applications.
Broader applications.
Use AquaSys supports for the widest available build material compatibility, and create the right part with the right material every time.
Increased accuracy.
Increased accuracy.
Creating with FFF gives designers the ability to make quick, cost-efficient adjustments and maximize part performance.
Materially better.
Materially better.
Work with water-only soluble supports and engineering-grade thermoplastic materials, like PEKK and Ultem® (PEI), to create parts with enhanced material properties.

Jigs & fixtures across industries.

Stories of wildly impressive time and cost savings when the production of assembly aids moves from traditional methods to additive manufacturing are as common as grimy shoes on a shop floor. AquaSys support materials are helping to further these gains by enabling faster post-production cleanup and broader build material compatibility.

 

A textbook example of manufacturing efficiency gains

 

VW Autoeuropa used to source tooling, jigs, and other assembly aids externally. The move to in-house production of a lift-gate badge resulted in development being reduced from 35 days to four, with a correspondingly dramatic drop in production cost, from about $483 to $12.

 

A 98% cost reduction is the kind of result that makes the widespread adoption of additive manufacturing easy to understand. Work with Infinite™ to forge your own efficiency breakthrough.

 

Scaling gains

 
3D printing offers such a wide range of applications and material options that many have found that once they have a printer to streamline the production of jigs, new applications become apparent. For example, the toolmaker Cashco started with the idea of gripping pads for their universal robots. Then custom grids for pre-machined parts looked like a good way to reduce changeover time, and mounting locator plates for their machines proved to be another time-saver. 
 
Results like these make the widespread adoption of additive manufacturing easy to understand. Work with Infinite™ to forge your own efficiency breakthrough.

 
Open systems and easier access 


Open systems are helping lower the barrier to entry, offering flexibility and lower costs for manufacturers that have hesitated to commit to an in-house printer and support staff. And the rise of independent additive manufacturing job shops put the advantages of 3D printing within easy reach of just about anyone who wants to get started with additive manufacturing.

Solutions for jigs, fixtures, and production tooling.

Ready to put your own 3D printed jig to work? Infinite materials enable complex designs, expanded material compatibility, and a reduced time-to-part rate for users seeking the design freedom and flexibility of open printing systems. Learn how our support and build products can help solve your manufacturing challenges.

Support Materials

Our AquaSys water-only soluble support filaments offer high-quality support, ease of use, and unmatched compatibility.

Shop Support Materials

Build Materials

Caverna, our unique new build material, can be used in thermoforming applications where a porous tool is specified. Caverna's continuous morphology eliminates the need to drill vent holes and improves part quality thanks to an evenly distributed vacuum draw.

Shop Build Materials
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