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Case Studies
Adding a 3D Printer Increases Manufacturer’s Flexibility,
Saves Time and Costs Associated with Development
Gifu, Japan–based KVK Corp., which
manufactures faucet hardware for
baths and kitchens, has been seeing its
production costs rise. The company
therefore resolved that it would make
up the difference by saving time, and
thus money, during product development.
Over the past few years, KVK
had been successful using 3D CAD/
CAM to shorten product development
time. Now, building on those 3D
beginnings, the manufacturer has
brought 3D prototyping in-house,
benefiting from the employment of an
Eden260 3D printing system from
Objet Technologies Ltd.
As its raw material costs increased
steeply, KVK saw that leveraging its 3D
capabilities through the installation of
a prototyping system might hold
down manufacturing costs. The company
expected on-site rapid prototyping
capacity to be cheaper and faster
than dependence on a service bureau.
KVK looked for a solution that would
let it build models earlier in the design
process, build transparent hollow
models for water-flow testing, and use
model materials that could be plated
and painted to closely resemble the
actual marketed products.
Following a thorough market survey
that included benchmarking of
available options, KVK selected Objet’s
24 European Tool & Mould Making ■ September 2009
Eden260. It was no more than a few
months after installing the 3D printing
system that the faucet maker was
integrating models produced on the
Objet printer into every aspect of product
development. KVK reports that its
development periods are shorter and
its design process more efficient. And
development is less stressful overall,
owing to KVK’s ability to test designs
early and frequently. This reduces the
risk that costly changes will have to be
made at advanced development stages.
Checking the product’s water discharge
performance is an important
A model of a faucet assembly before the plating process (the yellowish green object at bottom) and after.
Models moulded with the Eden260 have been used both upstream and downstream of product development.
design step. Using a model built with
the Eden260 facilitates this testing.
“The subcontracted prototyping
period was long and costly,” explains
Yoshiaki Nachi, deputy manager of
product development in the KVK
development division. “Hence, it was
not easy to check the amount of water
discharge and the water discharge state
each time the shape was changed.”
However, since installing the Eden system,
he says, KVK performs an accurate
and fast checking operation, “and
changes in the shape can now be efficiently
examined at a low cost.”
KVK’s prototyping costs have not
dropped noticeably, because the company
now creates more prototypes per
product. But the Eden260 has cut the
overall cost of product development.
“Our manufacturing unit cost per
model has now decreased considerably
compared to when we subcontracted
prototyping,” notes Nachi.
KVK now checks each model the
day after the 3D data is prepared, carrying
out the water discharge testing
immediately and then moulding again
using corrected data. “This has greatly
improved our work efficiency,” observes
Nachi. The company can refine
the product’s shape before ordering
the die, which minimizes expensive,
time-consuming die errors.
Objet Geometries Ltd.
REHOVOT, ISRAEL
www.etmm.info/2009/09/035