3D Printing Test Fixtures Custom Robotic End Effectors
The reliability and performance of prototypes and their subsystems need to be repeatedly tested to verify that their functionality meets expectations. Part of this step involves creating supplemental testing hardware such as brackets and workholding for the parts being assessed. It is inefficient to machine this hardware; geometries tend to be complex and change throughout the prototyping process. Lead times can be especially detrimental at this stage in the product development cycle because they may delay the prototype from being pushed to mass production.
Hardware for tests must be durable and rigid to ensure that results are repeatable. Markforged’s printers combine the ease and speed of additive manufacturing with the strength and reliability found in machined metal parts to produce test fixtures that are robust enough for a testing environment. In addition to added efficiency, 3D printers help speed up the whole iteration process. As systems are reworked and geometries evolve, new fixtures can be printed overnight without the pain of machining custom parts.
ProCobots recognized the need for a streamlined solution to integration of robotics in lean manufacturing. A traditional robot cell performs one specialized function, so factories spend months integrating multiple expensive, monolithic cells to serve an entire production line. ProCobots produces a standardized machine tending cell utilizing an EasyRobotics Pro Feeder and Universal-Robots UR10 collaborative robot. It can be adapted to serve multiple functions by simply swapping out 3D printed end effectors, and reprogramming on a single graphical user interface within minutes.
Job shops cannot predict what end effectors they will need each week to build unique products. 3D printing enables overnight production of custom workholding without outsourcing parts or consuming machinist time. Markforged Onyx is the only 3D printed material with sufficiently high strength-to-weight ratio and tight tolerances, and continuous fiber reinforcement elevates it further. CEO Brian Knopp loves how the combination of cost-efficiency, functional quality, and lean customization provides clear value. He says, “We’re printing the end effectors in our hotel room during an installation. This blows the customers out of the water.”