functional coupling

DESCRIPTION
One of the metal couplings for the plastic filament spooler used by the company Smart Materials 3D for 3D printing breaks. The breakage is caused by the coupling falling to the floor, producing a dent in the conical part, adjusted to fit the rewind reel. At this point, the spooler will not work as it is unable to adjust and the reels are forced against the spooling shaft.

CURRENT ISSUES
• The production line cannot start until we have a new conical adjustment, since the filament cannot be spooled in the reels.
• A quote is requested from a machining company to create a similar piece. The price quoted is 575 € with 2 weeks of delivery time.
• Although the order to the machining company was made (assuming 2 weeks of production shutdown), there is still a risk of the piece falling and becoming damaged, as it is a piece that is used in the machine approximately every 5 minutes, each time the reel is changed.
• The current piece is designed to fit one size, so it can only be used for a single reel size. You need different sized parts to fit the entire range of reels used on the line.

PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
• Smart Materials contacted Grupo Sicnova to suggest an improved design of the piece, making it universal and adaptable to all reel sizes used by the company.
• After an initial design phase, the next step was additive manufacturing of the piece with the JCR 1000. Construction time is much quicker compared to traditional machining methods.
• Special polystyrene that withstands high impact, and therefore potential falls, was studied as a potential base material for the manufacturing process.

R & D
Thanks to the collaboration with Grupo Sicnova, the following steps have been followed to resolve the case:
• A design was produced for an improved, universal piece, adaptable to any type of reel used in the production line within Smart Materials, adjustable in terms of both diameter and length.
• The 3D Sicnova JCR 1000 printer was used to print both sides of the piece, with an exceptional finish, perfectly adapted to the screwing, centering and tightening procedures.
• Printing material was used that was specifically developed for the piece to withstand impact and shock without becoming damaged or broken.

IMPACT ON THE CUSTOMER
• A saving of more than 96% in costs. 18.3€ compared with the 575€ of traditional machining procedures.
• 100% savings in investments, since no replacement parts are needed for future possible breakages.
• A saving of more than 77% of waiting time. 8 hours of printing in the JCR 1000 compared to 2 weeks of the machining delivery time.
• 60% savings in number of tools, due to an improved design, thus making it adaptable to all models of reels.