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3 Ways to Deliver Trusted Parts Faster with Simulation

Have you had a chance to try it out?

With Simulation, users can virtually test and validate the strength and stiffness of parts before fabrication. What does this mean for product developers and manufacturers? Fewer iterations are needed to get to the final part you want. Ultimately, this translates to the ability to deliver trusted parts both cheaper and faster.

How can Simulation optimize your product design and production workflows? Here are three different ways that Simulation allows you to deliver trusted parts faster.

Customer confidence means it's a win-win

When Pipeline Design & Engineering’s customer needed a bespoke inspection station delivered sooner than planned, Pipeline proposed to replace 50-60 metal end-use parts with 3D printed Onyx to push the delivery date months forward.

The customer, a medical device company, was skeptical of 3D printed part quality until the final part was delivered. After seeing the result, “floodgates opened up for them,” and the customer said to print as many of the parts as you can moving forward.

‍Takeaway: When dealing with more risk-averse customers in similar predicaments, Simulation can bring concrete part performance data to instill customer confidence in the part quality before printing — which means the customer gets what they need sooner and cheaper.

Faster prototyping, faster production

KST Moschkau, a security systems manufacturer, uses the FX20 to replace aluminium production components in one of its key products — an outdoor security camera housing mount — with Onyx.

For KST, the FX20 solves a critical problem in their production supply chain. Using aluminium parts from a machining shop meant 1.) expensive prototypes, and 2.) very unpredictable lead times for prototypes and production parts alike. With demand for the camera mount exceeding expectations, KST had pressure to deliver quickly.

When prototyping similar end-use production parts, manufacturers must test performance to ensure the final part can reliably house their customers’ multi thousand-dollar Panasonic PTZ cameras, withstanding harsh outdoor conditions, without deteriorating over time.

Takeaway: 3D printing saves time with faster iteration cycles — and using Simulation to validate performance before printing can allow manufacturers in similar circumstances to prototype even faster with less testing, while cutting down prototype costs even further.

Fix messy supply chains without looking back

Larsen Motorsports used Simulation to quickly replace an aluminium steering wheel with one made from continuous fiber-reinforced Onyx — with confidence it would continue to hold up and perform, even with all the forces applied as part of a jet engine drag racing vehicle attaining speeds of over 276 mph.

Historically, the machined aluminium steering wheels took weeks or even months to arrive, as iterative modifications were necessary to accommodate individual drivers. The long process of modifying the stock aluminium steering wheel runs the risk of not having the steering wheel ready before races, which can compromise safety and race performance.

‍Takeaway: With Simulation, Larsen Motorsports can take a supply chain shortcut without cutting any corners in quality. The steering wheel can be easily customized and quickly fabricated with full confidence it will continue to perform.

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Frequently Asked Questions to help determine your next step in the Additive Manufacturing journey

How can I use Simulation?

Simulation is now part of the digital forge subscription tier and is not a stand-alone product. In order to access Simulation, users are to have an Eiger account.

What problems does Simulation solve?

Additive manufacturing parts for tooling and demanding end-use applications requir total confidence in the strength and performance of your part.

Traditionally, accomplishing this level of confidence required one of the following courses of action:

1. Lengthy design-print-break testing cycles that multiply lead times, consume excessive material, and require extra work to follow thorough testing protocols

2. Time-consuming and costly analysis that requires both specialised expertise and expensive software

3. Consistently overbuilding parts with excess infill density and reinforcing material

What are the benefits?

Markforged promises to deliver a fast, automated way to validate part performance — and ultimately make it quick and effortless to print parts precisely optimized for the most demanding end-use applications. The in-slicer Simulation feature means no more lengthy design-print-break testing cycles, costly and time-consuming analysis, or excess material put into overbuilt parts.

‍Simulation instills confidence that your additive manufactured parts will have the strength instilled for demanding industrial applications. Powerful simulation technology that’s optimized for additive manufacturing lets any user virtually test parts — taking the guesswork out of configuring print parameters to meet performance requirements.

‍Simulation allows you to deliver trusted parts faster by reducing design-print-test iteration cycles and rework delays. Unlike traditional simulation tools that need specialized expertise and time-consuming analysis, Simulation is integrated into Eiger and streamlined for additive manufacturing so users can test parts within their familiar slice and print workflow.

‍Simulation reduces the cost of 3D printed parts by automatically optimizing the amounts of material and continuous fiber reinforcement needed. Avoid overbuilt parts and wasted material by effortlessly applying settings that optimize to meet your needs for strength, cost, and print speed. Replacing the typical 5 to 25 iterations of trial and error printing with virtual testing can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars per part. Ultimately, this enables expanded use of fiber-reinforced composite parts — more metal tooling and end-use parts can be replaced in a manner that is faster, for cheaper, and effortlessly.

How does it work?

Simulation enables anyone producing additive manufactured parts to validate part strength and stiffness. It suggests optimized print configurations to reduce print time or material costs.

With performance, cost, and time-frame requirements in mind, anyone can quickly:

‍Press Validate after identifying anchor and load surfaces, entering values for loads, Factor of Safety, and Max Deflection (stiffness) to run a simulation that determines whether your part passes or fails.

‍Press Optimise to run multiple simulations that generate alternative print configurations that prioritize faster print time or less material while ensuring performance requirements are satisfied.

‍Press Print to fabricate the current configuration, or after applying one of the alternative part configurations.

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3 Ways to Deliver Trusted Parts Faster with Simulation

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