Reverse technology and 3D printing high-precision parts ensure the normal operation of the production line of the Swedish pharmaceutical company
When the delivery time of spare parts was eight weeks and could not meet the requirements of the packaging line of ABIGO Pharmaceuticals in Sweden, the maintenance department of ABIGO in Sweden used 3D printing equipment from SHYZ in China to 3D print some pulleys to keep the packaging line running normally. Production technician Linus Ghle said: "The 3D printed parts have been running on the production line for nine weeks and the price is ten times cheaper than the original parts."
As an international pharmaceutical company, ABIGO Medical AB of Sweden is mainly engaged in the development, production and sales of wound care products, including some unique patented products developed internally. Production is carried out in the Askersund factory in Sweden, and the production is carried out in strict accordance with the pharmaceutical regulations. Mr. Linus Ghle is a production technician responsible for maintaining the production line and has been looking for high-temperature 3D printers. "From the very beginning, I have been looking for a 3D printer that can be used to print PEEK and ULTEM materials because the industry we are engaged in has very strict regulations. Many times, the materials we use need to be reviewed."
Shorten delivery time
ABIGO Pharmaceuticals purchased SHYZ's FUNMAT HT 3D printer, which is an entry-level model of the 3D printer series with high temperature capabilities. Thanks to the heating chamber of the 3D printer up to 90 degrees Celsius, the printing platform up to 160 degrees and the extrusion nozzle up to 450 degrees Celsius, this 3D printer can print high-performance materials such as PEEK and PEKK. "We printed SHYZ's PEEK wire through the standard settings of the slicing software, without any warpage, and with good interlayer adhesion," Linus Ghle said. The 3D printed parts are a set of spare parts on a new production line in the factory. The paper feeding pulley of the packaging line is worn out, so that the rubber around the pulley becomes too hard, causing operation failure. Mr. Linus Ghle said, “This set of packaging production line is newly installed by us. There is no spare parts inventory yet. The delivery time of original spare parts is 7-8 weeks, which is too long for the production line.”
Reverse engineering and 3D printing
Linus Ghle used reverse technology to find a solution. He used SHYZ 3D printing equipment to print PEEK wire. He chose PEEK because the temperature of the packaging line is as high as 85-87 degrees Celsius. The diameter of the 3D printed pulley is 92 mm, and then a pulley is placed around it. Rubber O-rings, through these 3D printed pulleys, before receiving the original spare parts, he hopes that the PEEK 3D printed parts can ensure the normal operation of the packaging line. "It turns out that this 3D printed pulley has been running on the production line for 9 weeks, and then received the original pulley accessories. The PEEK 3D printed pulley even runs smoothly and in good condition." Linus Ghle said.
The cost of 3D printed parts is 10 times cheaper
With this relatively simple solution, ABIGO Pharmaceuticals solved the problem of slow delivery of spare parts, which could cause the production line to shut down. Surprisingly, 3D printed parts are about 10 times cheaper than original parts. However, production technicians pointed out that 3D printed parts have a longer life than original parts. At the same time, Linus Ghle's team 3D printed more parts to replace worn parts, including a bearing box for a conveyor belt. Delivery time is no longer a major issue here. 3D printing shortens the delivery time of accessories, but the cost is much lower. We printed the bearings of the conveyor belt with polycarbonate (PC) wire at a cost of 100 Euros, while the original aluminum parts cost 4,000 Euros. "Linus Ghle explained, "The bearing fits well with the housing and fits perfectly." 3D printing with polycarbonate (PC) on SHYZ equipment is as easy as using other materials. I only need to adjust the default settings a bit. "
Replace aluminum parts
Polycarbonate (PC) is Linus Gohle and his colleagues in the maintenance department of ABIGO Pharmaceuticals' favorite 3D printing filament. "Because this material has good mechanical properties, it is easy to print and has a good price/print quality ratio."
Only special applications will use PEEK wire to print. For ABIGO’s maintenance team, if the delivery time is too long, the cost is too high or they have the opportunity to re-assemble to improve parts, then SHYZ’s FFF 3D printer is used The best choice for manufacturing spare parts with reverse engineering technology. Linus Ghle has been using 3D printers for some time, but the price of 3D metal printers used to print aluminum parts is too high; standard FFF 3D printers can’t show the characteristics of PLA well, and SHYZ 3D printers with high-temperature design are maintenance The correct solution for the department, because high-performance polymers are now used, the aluminum parts in the factory can be replaced with 3D printed parts. "I immediately caught my attention when I read the information about SHYZ. The open material system is an important criterion when choosing a 3D printer. We work under strict rules, and sometimes customers require us to use only approved materials. For this reason, we It is necessary to find a supplier with an open platform for product ingredients, which is why we chose SHYZ." PEEK is the only material that can be printed for wound care product packaging lines.
High-quality and high-precision accessory printing
To Linus Ghle's surprise, the quality of the parts he printed with the standard setting of SHYZ PEEK wire in the slicing software was very good. "You may have encountered many problems when printing high-temperature wires, but I am very impressed with SHYZ's slicing software. After one click on the SHYZ 3D printer, you can get high-quality and high-precision accessories within a few hours, which can be installed on the production line immediately. , To ensure the normal operation of production. We use polycarbonate (PC) 3D printing wire produced by SHYZ. We have also tested some cheap wires on the market, which often need to be adjusted continuously, but SHYZ's polycarbonate (PC) Wire does not need to do this."
Our current 3D printers are now running almost around the clock, "not always used to produce parts, but also for training and learning. At present, 3 employees in the maintenance department can operate SHYZ proficiently. Linus Ghle completed most of the drawings by himself Work. I have noticed that printers are being used more and more in our workflow, and in the future we will also use printers more and more for maintenance work. The more we know about materials and restrictions, the more we understand about 3D printing It will be more profound.” We also have the support of SHYZ Sweden’s partner Additiva AB. "During the installation, we received a one-day training. Now, we can solve most problems over the phone, but more training will be carried out in the future. This support is also very important on the premise that we already have 3D printing experience. ."