Having partnered with numerous companies and witnessed thousands of designs come through our production facility, we've gained unique insights into what makes for truly manufacturable part. Here are some critical observations with robotics components that could transform your next design iteration.
The Art of Part Consolidation: Opportunities Often Overlooked
One of the most common scenarios in Additive Manufacturing design is understanding the opportunities with traditional multi-component assemblies for 3D printing.
While many engineers initially approach 3D printing as a direct replacement for traditional manufacturing, it's possible to unlock extraordinary improvements through design optimization.
Consider this example of a robotics manufacturer. Their end effector design initially consisted of 18 separate components - a common approach born from traditional manufacturing constraints.
In this scenario, there are several opportunities for improvement to
reconceptualize the design into just four components.
Here's what made this transformation successful:
Integrating cooling channels that follow optimal thermal paths rather than traditional straight lines.
Complex organic support structures for better stress distribution.
Integrated cable routing with strain relief features that wouldn't be possible with traditional manufacturing.
The result?...
Assembly time reduction from 45 minutes to just 12 minutes, and field reliability improved significantly due to the elimination of multiple potential failure points.
Integration Considerations: Lessons from the Production Floor
Through our extensive experience in additive manufacturing, we've observed several critical factors that often get overlooked in the design phase:
Thermal Management Insights
One pattern we've noticed across multiple client projects is the tendency to treat thermal management as an afterthought.
For instance, incorporating conformal cooling channels in motor housing design that followed the actual heat generation pattern.
This seemingly simple design modification resulted in a 23% reduction in operating temperatures compared to traditional straight channels.
Here's a practical tip from our production experience:
When designing cooling channels, consider the relationship between surface area and fluid velocity.
Our testing has shown that carefully designed channel surfaces can improve heat transfer efficiency through controlled turbulence.
Material Selection: Experience-Based Recommendations
Having processed thousands of parts using various materials, we can offer valuable insights beyond basic material datasheets. For instance, with PA12 in robotic gripper applications, we've observed that:
Print orientation significantly impacts fatigue resistance - often exceeding datasheet specifications when optimally oriented.
Our proprietary packing method maintains even cooling distribution maintaining accuracy and reducing warping.
Our VAPORSMOOTH and CERAKOTE finishing process can significantly improve wear resistance at bearing surfaces.
Performance Optimization: Manufacturing Reality CheckOur extensive production experience has led to practical optimization approaches that bridge the gap between design intent and manufacturing reality:
Topology Optimization: Practical Guidelines
While design software can generate theoretically optimal structures, our production experience suggests some practical guidelines:
• Features smaller than 2mm often lead to manufacturability issues without significant performance gains.
• Align primary load paths with optimal print orientation for best results, especially with FFF and SLS, MJF (not as important with MJF).
• Design for self-supporting angles (typically 45° or greater) where possible to maintain geometric accuracy most important with FFF or other technologies requiring supports.
Strategic Use of Lattice StructuresOne counterintuitive insight–lighter isn't always better. With certain technologies, you can utilize lattice structures strategically for vibration dampening in robotic applications.
The key is carefully controlling lattice density to manage natural frequencies effectively.
Implementation Recommendations
- Start with your most problematic assembly - often the one generating the most quality issues or assembly challenges.
- Review your force flow diagrams - identify where additive manufacturing can eliminate traditional manufacturing constraints.
- Consider our FAI+ Process - validate critical features before committing to full production.
Design Optimization
As a leading additive manufacturing partner, we're excited about emerging technologies in multi-material printing and embedded electronics.
Our ongoing investment in advanced manufacturing capabilities continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in robotic component design.
Remember, successful additive manufacturing isn't just about reducing part count or simplifying assembly - it's about creating better-performing, more reliable systems.
Our engineering team is here to help you achieve these goals through optimal design for additive manufacturing.