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3D Printed Leak Check Fixture. Produced with a F370CR 3D printer using Nylon CF-10.
Case Study

J.W. Speaker Use Case on F370CR & FDM Nylon-CF10.

February 06, 2023

J.W. Speaker:
Pioneering High-Performance Vehicle Lighting

3D Printed Leak Test Fixture - Using FDM Nylon CF-10.

Customer History

Founded in 1935, J.W. Speaker Corporation makes high-performance lighting for automotive, powersports, transports, and industrial vehicles. The company specializes in developing innovative LED and emerging lighting technologies for OEM and aftermarket customers worldwide.

 

Challenge: Streamlining the Manufacturing Process for Snowmobile Light Fixtures

The manufacture of a snowmobile light fixture required a leak test to validate its watertight capability. These tests employ fixtures that must withstand a 100-pound force as air is evacuated from the light housing to ensure a proper seal. Custom fixtures are typically machined from aluminum, but this involves procuring the raw stock and CNC machining the tool. Although this solution works, engineers desired a faster approach for manufacturing and deploying the device into production.


The Solution: Adopting 3D Printing with Nylon-CF10 and F370CR Composite Printer

Instead of machining, J.W. Speaker tool designers 3D printed the fixture using FDM® Nylon-CF10 carbon fibre material, a nylon-based composite thermoplastic filled 10% with chopped carbon fibre. The result is a much stiffer and stronger material capable of more demanding applications. Nylon-CF10 is available on the F370®CR composite printer, which includes other composite materials and engineering-grade polymers.

 

J.W. Speaker Use Case on FDM F370CR and Nylon CF-10.

The Impact: Reduced Tool Production Time and More Agile Tool Design Process

3D printing the tooling fixture allowed J.W. Speaker to reduce the tool production time by approximately 80%, from two days to 10 hours. The Nylon-CF10 and F370CR composite printing capabilities also enabled the freedom to design the tool as needed, without the constraints of traditional machining. This approach provides a more agile tool design process, allowing changes to be implemented quickly.

JW Speaker and Stratasys in Action

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Explore Stratasys Solutions Further

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F370CR - FDM 3D Printer

F123 Series 3D printers give designers, engineers and educators access to affordable, industrial-grade 3D printing. Work faster through concept iterations and component verification. Make jigs, fixtures and manufacturing tools faster, with strong, stiff materials. Increase productivity and reach your goals sooner with repeatable results.

View F370CR

FDM Nylon-CF10

A nylon carbon fibre filament. The base polymer is filled 10% by weight with chopped carbon, which produces a composite material 67% stronger and 190% stiffer than the nylon base material. FDM Nylon-CF10 is also possesses good chemical resistance, toughness and abrasion resistance.

View Nylon-CF10
3D Printed Leak Check Fixture. Produced with a F370CR 3D printer using Nylon CF-10.

J.W. Speaker FDM Use Case

J.W. Speaker reduced tool production time by approximately 80% with 3D printing FDM material Nylon-CF10 and F370CR Composite 3D printers.

Download Use Case

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