BorgiForm German RepRap
3D printed gearbox part, made with the German RepRap X350Pro.
BorgiForm, an emerging family business headquartered in eastern Westphalia, Germany, has taken advantage of German RepRap 3D printing technology to reduce costs.
A business focussed on shaping ideas, both figuratively and literally, BorgiForm has used additive manufacturing in the development of die-cutting and bending tools, as well as in automated manufacturing. The main benefits have been in cost management, namely in the areas of automation and measurement technology, as well as in tool manufacturing.
Shaping ideas, in the literal sense, refers to BorgiForm configuring its customer’s ideas in a CAD tool, prior to building the part(s) with a 3D printer. Production has been executed by the German RepRap X350Pro and X400 3D printers. Adopting this technology has enabled cheaper production of plastic parts for use in product development, prototyping, model and mould construction, as well as architecture and design.
“By recognising problems before production and its correct estimation, as well as applying the articles in the measurement area, the costs of an entire project can be quickly reduced in a range of 20% [with 3D printing],” said Dirk Kriegel, Managing Director of BorgiForm. “The CAD data on the PC does not give you the correct sense of the size and scope of the later article. In practice, it has been shown that a 3D 1:1 printing unit significantly facilitates evaluation and problem identification in the latter product and thus reduces costs.
BorgiForm German RepRap
Assessing a 3D printed part for the automotive industry.
“Furthermore, the 3D print can be used as a pre-setting pattern in the measurement technique. The optimisation of the measurement programs by means of a 3D printing part allows an optimisation of the measuring programs before the actual article is available. This also makes it possible to reduce personnel and machine costs.”
Kriegel, a precision machinist in die-cutting and bending tool production for the automotive industry, primarily carries out technical evaluations of newly-requested die-cutting and bending parts. Now able to quickly and cost-effectively produce a copy of the intended product for technical and business calculations, the adoption of 3D printing has been very helpful for BorgiForm.
Feeling a knowledgeable supplier of die-cutting and bending parts would be needed for the industry, Kriegel decided to start his own small manufacturing company. Today, BorgiForm’s customers include gauge manufacturers and leading players in the plastics and furniture industries. So far, PLA and ABS have been the types of material mostly used, but many others are available. These include PS, PVA, TPU 93, Carbon 20, Laywood, Laybrick, PP, Bendlay, Soft PLA and Smart ABS. Generally, the choice is left to the client and what will fit their requirements best.
