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OECHSLER AG — from injection molding to 3D printing
OECHSLER AG is a global player from Germany with core competencies in injection molding and assembly of complex products. By owning 100% of the value chain - driving the product from idea into development to serial production within multiple markets - OECHSLER is able to take on complex and highly innovative projects.
Innovation in manufacturing with new technologies
OECHSLER started to expand its Additive Manufacturing technology portfolio in 2017. Within 5 years the company ramped up their global fleet to 150 printers in Europe and Asia Pacific – including HP Jet Fusion 5200 3D Printing Solutions - and recently became an HP Digital Manufacturing Partner.
Product innovation drives market entry — from Automotive to Consumer Goods
OECHSLER has also been using conventional manufacturing processes over the past decades to serve its key markets.
Whether in the automotive, industrial, sporting goods or medical sectors – OECHSLER has found that challenging the traditional approach of how existing products are manufactured by finding the ideal 3D printing material, tends to be the door opener for completely new innovations with regards to product, manufacturing process and time to market.
What role can 3D printing play in the manufacturing process?
The first key to success is to uncover the key benefits that 3D printing can deliver, that conventional production technologies cannot. Combining parts to simplify construction and avoid assembly, adding functional elements that could change an entire product portfolio - or creating complex geometries that a designer has been striving to achieve for years, but just cannot produce with existing tools. The added value for a specific use case changes the level of discussion immediately from “thinking in prototypes” toward the first step of implementation for series production. Not to mention the lean production benefits that additive manufacturing delivers, that allow for agile, and potentially less wasteful and costly manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing of products.
Innovation in manufacturing aligned with industry standards
By fulfilling ISO and IATF standards, including environmental and energy management, companies are proving that 3D printing can drive innovation in manufacturing, while also meeting quality standards across industries. This is another key criteria to develop trust in additive manufacturing as a viable manufacturing process, and to forge direct business relationships in the OEM network.
Development with 3D printing — prototyping or functional parts
When it comes to product development, the added value of 3D printed parts is clear. An additively manufactured component with an unusual geometry serves as perfect showcase to display complexity and product innovation directly to the customer. However, products are often still perceived as “concept” or “prototypes” both of which lack market readiness.
OECHSLER has tackled this challenge to overcome this one-sided perception of additive manufacturing, by offering complete pre-series and pre-production components manufactured directly with 3D printing, without the need for tooling. Product readiness can be achieved faster through rapid prototyping and lean production approach, and to the same level of part quality - in terms of accuracy and mechanical properties - as injection molding. Ultimately, time to market can be optimized and shortened significantly - not only by weeks, but usually by months since there is no need to develop tools for the injection molding machine.
Serial production — bringing innovative products to market
For more than five years, OECHSLER has been using additive manufacturing as a regular mass production method without sacrificing mechanical properties or part quality at all. By rethinking materials and design, the company has opened the door to creating new and compelling product experiences with 3D printing.
A great example of this is the development of lattice structures in combination with flexible materials to substitute regular polyurethane foam.
Innovation in manufacturing with lattice structures
Despite a well-established foam market that has been enabling reasonable costing for products, additive manufacturing is starting to unlock new opportunities to develop high-value products with enhanced performance and properties enabled by lattice structures.
The open cell structure elements of lattices enable new product functionality such as:
- Air permeability and breathability
- Comfort through precise adjustable cushioning
- Lighter parts and products
These capabilities are especially beneficial for automotive, consumer goods and household applications.
The right part for the right manufacturing process
Of course, identifying relevant product components for additive manufacturing is key to a successful application.
Let’s take a look at some examples of how innovation in manufacturing — using HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) 3D printing to produce lattice structures - is unlocking new possibilities in design and production:
3D printing car seat cushioning systems, or backpack comfort elements allows for design strategies that facilitate passive ventilation and eliminate pressure points in the areas that come in contact most with the body.
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Lattice structures applied to 3D printed furniture products open a world of options for designers.
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Disruptive solutions to drive innovation in manufacturing
OECHSLER relies on HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) 3D printing technology and BASF AM Forward materials to take the aforementioned products from prototype to series production at scale.
The decision to use UltrasintTM TPU01 material to replace polyurethane foam was taken with the environment in mind — with a view to enabling future recyclability and a secondary product life cycle at the same quality level.
Efficiencies resulting from innovation in manufacturing
Material aside, the mechanical design in the aforementioned products has a major impact in facilitating recycling after end of life – so that they can be assembled without the usual manufacturing process steps like gluing or adding subcomponents which are not easy to separate during the recycling process. Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) strategies resulting in clip-on or snap fit functions, weldable surfaces or even connectors 3D printed with the same material, enable the assembly of 3D printed components to make the final product.
The innovation enabled by 3D printing for these three products — results in the following benefits:
- For the furniture, not one screw or non-TPU component is required for the assembly of the cushioning system.
- In the car seat, the assembly process does not require the typical gluing process steps, by implementing all the required fixation points into the cushioning element, without sacrificing quality once the leather covering is applied.
- And for the first backpack concept, developed with a leading outdoor brand, a new standard was set in the industry, as both 3D printed and non-3D printed elements were manufactured entirely out of one material (TPU) facilitating a more efficient recycling process, that doesn’t require disassembly.
By tackling industry-specific challenges, rethinking industrial production and traditional manufacturing processes, and enabling in-house product development, OECHSLER AG is able to explore new market segments, combining sustainable materials and additive manufacturing processes, such as HP MJF, at scale.
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Footnotes and disclaimers
- Data courtesy of Oechsler AG.