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QUALITY CONTROL FIXTURES & BENDING TUBES TOOL

CUSTOMER - SAG TUBI

Sag Tubi is an innovative company focused on pipe solutions since 1969.

In order to create a variety of fluid systems and pipes, the company uses a tube bending process, which requires a lot of work and tools, including tools to bend the tubes and make fixtures, or moulds to check the tubes curvature and shape.

Nowadays these tools are mainly made of metal, manufactured with CNC machines, resulting in a high cost for each tool. Working with 3D printing technologies they can easily create lighter tools and moulds for their bending and checking processes while lowering costs and production time for each tool or fixture.

SAG TUBI performs an advisory service and collaborates with the customer during the design phase, contributing its experience to the optimisation of hydraulic systems directly onto the machines, a co-design service, research and development, with the aid of highly qualified personnel and modern 3D modeling design software, FEM fluid dynamics, plastic modeling etc.

3D PRINT MAIN BENEFIT

TOOLING APPLICATION

QUALITY CONTROL FIXTURES

Tube dimensional check gauges manufacturing is challenging by nature: round sections with complex spatial shapes require gauges that will be difficult to machine using conventional CNC technologies.

When assemblies become too big in size, tool parts can be assembled using puzzle joints.

Machining this part in CNC would require lots of rough down machining and, in some cases, 3 axis CNC would not be enough. Most likely would require design simplification, reducing tool to a series of 2D profile checkers assembled to a base. With MJF the whole surface can be checked at once, and can produce easy generation of tools that copy part’s outer surfaces avoiding complex machining processes or assemblies.

MATERIAL

HP 3D HR PA 12

POST-PROCESSING

Bead blasting

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The requirements for this precise application are:
High dimensional accuracy, as it is expected to be a shape and fit quality control fixture.
In this case, tolerances of +/- 1mm are acceptable.

TOOLING APPLICATION

BENDING TUBES TOOL

The following final part is part of a hydraulic system, the conforming dies have been done in MJF and are assembled into the press to conform the tubes.

Before MJF CNC machined parts were used for the conforming dies.

MJF high speed is fundamental in case multiple iterations are needed to get the final design of part, and of course to be able to accept orders of small quantities. The complex geometry would imply a long process if done with CNC.

The costs are significantly lower than machining: many dies can be printed simultaneously for different orders; printing complex geometries comes for free in MJF printers while it doesn’t in machining processes. Curved areas of the dies are complicated or even not possible to do with CNC whereas they come for free in MJF.

MATERIAL

HP 3D HR PA 12

POST-PROCESSING

Bead blasting

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Product demand changes every week so rapid die fabrication is needed to fulfill new designs.
Low cost on tooling fabrication to increase competitiveness and move from the commodity market.
Dies must withstand press strain.


VIEW THE PRINTERS USED

HP Jet Fusion 3D  300/500 Printers
HP Jet Fusion 3D 4210/4200
CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE


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