As part of its policy to make product reshoring as straightforward as possible for its clients, LVS Small Plastic Parts has significantly enhanced its reverse engineering capabilities with investment in 3D printing and scanning equipment.
State-of-the-art 3D scanning and printing equipment now means that LVS can quickly capture and manipulate data from an existing component, then fully render it for verification before new tooling is laid down.
Charles Carter, LVS Small Plastic Parts Business Development Manager, commented:
“It is often the case, particularly when manufacturing is relocated from the Far East, that existing production tooling is not made available. This means that new tooling needs to be produced, so if the tool or part drawings are not accessible, we have to work backwards from an existing component.
“This is also an opportunity to make improvements to product design, as well as manufacture higher quality tooling that will, in turn, produce superior components. Before our latest investments, we had to carry out extensive and time-consuming CMM studies. In contrast, we can now quickly complete the process using state-of-the-art laser scanning equipment. We can then carry out any required tweaks to the current design, before manufacturing an accurate 3D model that can be verified against existing parts.”
The Ultimaker S5 3D printing station (see image) is a ‘flagship’ model that has been further enhanced by the addition of specialist production modules. The unit has a generous build area, which is served by a material station and air quality management system. As well as aiding with reverse engineering projects, this equipment will allow LVS to produce accurate prototypes for clients that are taking advantage of the company’s product development expertise.
Charles further commented:
“Materials can be automatically changed, allowing components that combine different material grades and colours to be produced on a lights out basis. We can produce very accurate and functional prototypes, and in the case of very large components, we can manufacture models to an exact scale.”
If you have a re-shoring or reverse-engineering project that you would like to discuss, contact Charles Carter on 01952 290666 or charles@small-plastic-parts.co.uk.
