Additive at Scale
Essentium Inc. announced today that Additive at Scale has begun using the Essentium High Speed Extrusion (HSE) 180 ST 3D printing platform and Essentium PCTG-Z to design and manufacture 100 pilot units for an asset tracking solution. The solution is for a multinational chemical company.
Additive at Scale used the technology to overcome design, cost and time constraints. The company said the asset tracking solution for fleet management and monitoring of 18-wheeler chassis that transport chemicals was delivered in 60 days.
Additive at Scale also partnered with Blues Wireless to develop the asset tracking solution with GPS capabilities and an onboard accelerometer. The solution also allows the end-user to input data to the cloud without Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity.
The challenge was quickly developing electronic enclosures to mount the solution to the chassis. These enclosures require a specific form factor, custom PCB mounts, and a rugged design for outdoor installations, while the installations can be costly and time-consuming when using traditional production methods.
Additive at Scale attempted to overcome the challenges by designing an electronic enclosure with an O-ring groove and seal, threaded inserts, and custom PCB mounts. One hundred units were 3D printed for its pilot phase, with an Essentium HSE 180 ST 3D printer.
The team chose to use Essentium PCTG-Z for its electrostatic discharge (ESD)-safe properties, impact strength, chemical resistance and low cost.
“Having Essentium as a strategic partner has allowed us to tap into the expertise of their material scientists and application engineers to help select the right material and process settings to meet our clients needs,” explained Madison Jones, Director of Additive at Scale. “They also offer the best ESD-safe materials on the market, which in most cases, is ideal for electronic enclosures or assembly of electronics.”
Additive at Scale has been given official vendor status and is in the process of scaling-up production, after the pilot phase was completed quickly and efficiently.
