Custom assembly solutions
Oreck Manufacturing produces 40-50 identical assembly pallets for each series of vacuum cleaners. That was the case with the company’s Titanium series, the XL21 upright household vacuum. This high-end device provides users with features such as hypoallergenic filtration, an adjustable two-speed motor, and advanced sound-absorbing technology.
The production line pallets fix the top cover of the vacuum cleaner in precise position, making the device quick and easy to assemble. After the motor, fan housing and other supporting structural elements are placed in the fixed top cover, the bottom cover is fitted onto it.
“Some traditional clamping device projects cost over $100,000, so the savings can be significant.”
Bill Fish
Oreck
Simplified assembly
Each assembly fixture consists of four plastic posts that can be attached to a standard Bosch assembly pallet. In addition to being specifically tailored to hold the cover, the fixture components have a tolerance of 0.076 mm, so the cover is held firmly in place.
Oreck’s engineering team uses standard CAD tools to design the parts needed for each fixture. According to Oreck’s lead modeler, Bill Fish, “Designing the fixture parts is pretty straightforward. We already have a file for the standard support columns. We add the 3D top cover, embed it in the support column, and then remove the cover. The whole job takes about an hour and a half.”
Previously, Oreck used only traditional methods to make assembly fixtures. These included silicone or epoxy molds and urethane castings with inserts. A few years ago, Oreck acquired two Fortus 3D manufacturing systems . FDM technology gave them the ability to additively manufacture fixtures, which they use whenever possible.
“Using additive manufacturing reduces fixture manufacturing costs by up to 65 percent because we manufacture them in-house,” said Fish. “Some traditional fixture projects cost over $100,000, so the savings can be significant.”
At that rate, the machines can pay for themselves even with a small number of projects.
3D printing the pallet assembly fixture is just the beginning. Maintaining pallets in demanding production environments is just as important as sourcing original parts. “If for some reason a fixture snaps or breaks during use, we can quickly and easily replace it in-house. Anything that takes a pallet out of production costs us money. We run the Fortus systems 24 hours a day,” said Fish.
In addition to manufacturing fixtures, Oreck uses FDM technology to produce prototypes and models for marketing photos and advertisements.
“We also use the machines to manufacture special assembly tools, fixtures for coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), engineering inspections and CNC milling machines. We also produce complete mockups. The only limit to our machines is our imagination.”
| Proceedings | Cost |
|---|---|
|
Traditional pressing and casting |
$100,000 |
|
FDM manufacturing |
$35,000 |
|
Savings |
$65,000 (65%) |
Learn how additive manufacturing can bring new momentum to the fixture manufacturing process while increasing time and cost savings!
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Solution Guide in Hungarian!
