INTEGRIS 3-D Printing: How Rapid Prototyping Saved Our Client Money Have you ever found yourself wondering about what exactly it is that goes on here at INTEGRIS Group?
CONTENTS Who is INTEGRIS? 3 Why we do what we do 4 Who we do it for 5 The Project 6 The End Result 7 Get to know INTEGRIS better 8 2
Who Is INTEGRIS? Although we specialize in all things engineering, INTEGRIS is far more than just an average engineering firm. As we like to put it, INTEGRIS is your one-stop shop. We wear multiple hats at INTEGRIS, ranging from mechanical and electrical engineering, project management, business and new product development, IT services, 3D printing, and even marketing services. We like to pride ourselves on the fact that we have a diverse team that can help fulfill and manage almost any business needs. So keep on reading, you never know what you might learn! 3
Why we do what we do. We have a saying around here... and that is You re not in it alone. That s why we are here. That s why INTEGRIS exists, to make sure that it is known that no one who partners with INTEGRIS is alone in their venture. We are here to help. We are here to solve problems. We are here to fix what needs fixing. All in all, we are here to ensure that you re provided with the best business services available. We are focused on giving you the best service, and solutions enabling you to achieve your vision. We believe that engineering is a competitive advantage, not a commodity. This helps us to be driven by the value that we provide businesses as they surpass their competition. Our goal is to build long term relationships with businesses as a trusted resource for engineering and innovation through an emphasis on quality and communication. 4
Who we do it for. INTEGRIS has an extensive client list that we are quite proud, and we enjoy helping them overcome challenges they are facing. Today our focus is Hagemeyer, who just so happens to be a neighbor of ours here in our East Peoria, IL office building. Hagemeyer reached out to INTEGRIS in search for help with the redesign, analysis and prototyping of a tool that they supply for use on a heavy equipment assembly line. This tool, a reaction bar, was used to carry load against an existing structure while the operator installs high torque bolts. Tooling such as this eliminated the need for the operator to manually hold the torque gun in place, thus reducing the chance of injury. Unfortunately, the existing tooling did not have adequate strength, thereby increasing the probability of a failure that could end in an injury to the operator. This was a challenge INTEGRIS was more than willing to accept. To the right, are the pictures of the L-type reaction bar before (top) Hagemeyer teamed with INTEGRIS, and after (bottom) INTEGRIS re-designed the reaction bar. 5
INTEGRIS Engineering was tasked with re-designing a tool that met the strength requirement for the assembly line operation while also ensuring that the tool fit within tight spatial constraints surrounding the equipment without interference. To complete this effort, a re-designed tool needed to be analyzed and tested for form, fit, and function to give the end customer the confidence that their investment in INTEGRIS was going to give them the results they needed. Following CAD (computer aided design) modeling of a new tool, a finite element analysis (FEA) was completed on both the original tool and a re-designed configuration. Stress results from the FEA not only validate the need for a design change, but were also used to ensure that the re-designed tool could be used repeatedly without concern for additional problems. After the strength was verified for the new design, it needed to be tested for fit, form, and function. Typically this type of effort is done with the initial production parts. This can prove to be costly and inefficient. To complicate matters, the re-designed tool was to be used with various sizes of torque guns, therefore making the spatial constraints variable from one operation to the next. 6
The best way to validate the design with a set of variable requirements was to make use of the 3D printers at INTEGRIS. INTEGRIS has extensive 3D printing capabilities to create prototypes for our projects. This aspect of our business helps us provide affordable and accurate prototypes of specific tools and models desired by our clients. The complexity of completing trial fits with several expensive torque guns was simplified by the design of 1, 3D printed, modular torque gun that was able to be disassembled and modified with interchangeable components to change its overall shape. In all instances, the re-designed reaction bar was able to be adapted to dozens of different torque guns for trial fits with the use of only a handful of 3D printed parts. From this point, Hagemeyer could test many different scenarios using a single set of prototyped parts, thus cutting tool costs down. This is a huge advantage as is saves thousands of dollars on these pricey too parts. Hagemeyer needed an L-type reaction bar and an improved torque multiplier, so our engineers at INTEGRIS designed and developed the prototypes for testing before the products were sent to production, preventing costly mistakes and potentially saving Hagemeyer thousands of dollars. 7
The End Result. In the top picture, you will see the re-designed L-type reaction bar prototype by INTEGRIS (left) and the original product from Hagemeyer (right). The picture on the bottom is the 3D printed prototype design of the torque gun (yellow) with the newly designed torque multiplier (grey) designed by INTEGRIS. Hagemeyer was very pleased with the end results and immediately put the prototypes into testing. After the tools passed the necessary testing procedures, they went into production to be made for use on the assembly line. Another win for INTEGRIS! Not only was Hagemeyer pleased with the product and happy to have teamed up with us, but INTEGRIS got the satisfaction of knocking down another challenge presented to them. Just another day at the office for INTEGRIS Group! 8
Get to Know INTEGRIS Better. Interested in learning more about the awesome people here at INTEGRIS and the cool projects we work on? Then be sure to check out our website! If you want to stay current with what s happening at INTEGRIS, then read the INTEGRIS Blog to get news and trends on all things INTEGRIS Group! If that s not enough, we have an Email List too! And if you re still craving more then you ve got to connect with us on: for cool news, stories, INTEGRIS 3D print giveaways and more! You re not in it alone. 9