In our final post on 3D printed soft jaw machining fixtures, we look at how Gosiger, a leading machine tool and manufacturing systems provider, opted for 3D printed soft jaws instead of machining them.
In this example, Gosiger used an Okuma 2SP lathe with an integral gantry system to machine various parts. The gantry feeds raw machining stock to the lathe and then moves finished parts to an outbound stock table.
The gantry’s gripping jaws are typically made from metal. They have to be custom machined if they can’t be sourced from standard stock. However, for this particular use case, the parts made on the lathe were aluminum ball bearing housings, which are prone to scratching if handled with steel jaws.
To avoid damage, Gosiger chose to 3D print custom jaws from Nylon-CF10 carbon fiber material. The benefits of this approach included the material’s strong but non-marring properties, chemical and wear resistance in the machining environment, and the speed of manufacture. In the end, Gosiger met the job’s quick turnaround time requirement without damaging any parts. It’s just one more illustration of how 3D printed fixtures offer a faster, more efficient option over machined metal fixtures.
We hope this blog series offers insight into how additive technology is a good fit for this application and answers some of your questions. 3D printing doesn’t replace CNC machining, but it’s an effective complement and a time-efficient alternative for making custom workholding fixtures.
Interested in learning more about how this application could positively impact your operation? Contact us to talk with a representative who can answer questions about how Stratasys printers and materials, like the F123CR Series and Nylon-CF10, stack up against the competition. It could be a worthwhile conversation!
