SODIMAS, the French-based elevator designer and manufacturer, has been innovating its production line and reducing turnover times remarkably since it employed the 3D printing technology of Stratasys Ltd.. This was announced by Stratasys on 8th, September.
“Because SODIMAS is focused on the niche elevator business, developing relatively small series of customized solutions, we need to innovate a lot and that’s why Stratasys 3D Printing Solutions are so important to our company.” (Patrice Arnoult, General Manager of SODIMAS)
One of the leading roles in this innovation is Stratasys’s FDM-based Fortus 450mc 3D Printer, which is being used by SODIMAS for three main applications:
- Prototype elevator parts
- Assembly tools
- Customer education devices
Reduced prototype production time and increased flexibility for testing
SODIMAS has been using its Dimension 1200es 3D Printer for several years before it integrated Stratasys Fortus 450mc 3D Printer for larger-scaled 3D printing needs.
According to SODIMAS, prototyping has become simpler and more time-efficient thanks to the large build tray and extensive range of advanced thermoplastic materials.
“To put that efficiency into context, using traditional means, we would previously have been looking at around a 15-day lead time before having the part ready to validate for design and fit – so we’ve basically slashed this from two weeks to two or three hours……We design and produce the parts that are used to assemble the elevator’s ceiling, walls and floor, simultaneously. Once we’ve 3D printed each part, we’re able to quickly check the design and assembly for the correct fit, before proceeding to the manufacture of the lift in aluminum.”(Stéphane Réau, Deputy Technical Director of SODIMAS)
Customized tools make component assembly easier
Another important way to apply Stratasys 3D printing solutions is to use the company’s super-tough ULTEM material to design and produce customized assembly tools. So far, SODIMAS has printed 15 tools to solve the component assembly problems in their work.
“We needed to fine-tune a component on an electronic assembly and to do so we had to remove a small part and then put it back exactly in the same place. This is a challenge – placing the part in the exact right place can be tricky. So we used our Stratasys 3D printer to create a custom jig to fit the assembly. The operator just places the jig on the assembly, then puts the part in space in the jig, and removes the jig. It takes just a few seconds.”(Stéphane Réau, Deputy Technical Director of SODIMAS)
3D Printed sales tools demonstrate the mechanics
What’s humanizing about these 3D printed sales tools is that they are specially made for customers and staff to provide them with clearer and more visualized mechanics of the elevators.
Although the traditionally made models were technically accurate, they were heavy to carry and failed to provide a three dimensional perspective. Now the 3D printed lightweight models could demonstrate the mechanics of elevators running inside a shaft, enabling customers and staff to understand the whole structure better.
According to SODIMAS’s General Manager Patrice Arnoult, they are now expecting to reduce the warehousing expenses by replacing some of the original inventories with 3D printed finals parts.
Feature Image: Stratasys
