THE PROBLEM

A customer brought us a critical sheet-metal assembly involving complex bends and in tight turnaround. The only reference was the customer’s CAD file—no 2D drawings—making it challenging to ensure the part’s alignment features would be accurate on the first run. WOOF!

THE PROBLEM

Critical timing didn’t allow for the customer to ship mating parts for a physical fit check. We used the available mating assembly CAD to design, and 3D print a custom test fixture, all in under 5 hours. FDM to the rescue! This fixture would serve as an immediate benchmark for verifying alignment. SPEED.

THE PROBLEM

We tested the bent parts with the custom 3D-printed fixture to quickly pinpoint misaligned features. The insights allowed us to fine-tune the bending process, rework the samples, and produce acceptable parts. Our engineers quick thinking helped customer avoid delays from having to ship mating parts and created a starting block for detailing part specs. NO SWEAT.