This case study will examine Spectra Gutter Systems’s success in outsourcing engineering to Javelin Design Solutions.

TriMech Provides SOLIDWORKS Expertise and 3D Printed Prototypes

Product Development Manager Jeff Smith brought his industry experience to Spectra Gutter Systems in late 2022 and has since been focused on creating new products for the wholesale and retail markets. To help him move efficiently from concept to completion, he relies on TriMech Design Solutions and Advanced Manufacturing Services (AMS).

Spectra Gutter System designed with SOLIDWORKS

By outsourcing engineering to TriMech, clients gain access to a wider team with a variety of design and engineering skillsets – mechanical and electrical design, automation, 3D laser scanning – whatever they need to move their projects along.

Design Collaboration

For Jeff, the TriMech team serves as his engineering department. He explained that TriMech has done a great job of turning his ideas into well-designed 3D models. They communicate back and forth to tweak the dimensions or the look of the product.

“I have been in product development pretty much my whole career, but I haven’t developed advanced skills in software like SOLIDWORKS. I prefer it this way – I have the ideas, then sketch out some two-dimensional concepts. Once I get them from my brain onto paper, I pass them on to TriMech.”

Outsourcing Engineering for Quick Turnaround

Jeff discussed the fall 2023 launch of Spectra’s “TriFlex by Ground Spout,” a downspout extension that funnels water from the roof into three smaller, flexible pipes, diverting water away from the foundation in directions you choose. It connects to the downspout and additional extensions and fits all downspouts.

“Well, first off, that was probably the quickest turnaround I’ve ever seen, in terms of getting an idea to market,” Jeff said. “I give TriMech a lot of credit in helping me achieve that.”

He noted that the product has a lot of unique features and some complex geometry, with shape and profile variations, as well as a threaded design that allows the pieces to connect.

“I had the vision, but needed TriMech to get it into SOLIDWORKS and work closely with me on various iterations.”

Jeff worked primarily with TriMech Project Engineer Will Irvin, who he noted is very responsive.

“Sometimes I feel like Will works for me, to be honest. That’s a compliment; I feel like he is part of my team. Only very rarely has he said he is in the middle of another project and can’t get to mine right away. And if he has had to say that, or he’s on vacation, he offers up other people to step in. He has a whole team behind him.”

Easy Access to 3D Printed Prototypes

Jeff also takes advantage of TriMech’s expertise in additive manufacturing. Spectra Gutter Systems does not have in-house 3D printing capabilities, yet Jeff always needs prototypes to test fit and function and for show and tell with colleagues or customers.

A prototype being printed on a Stratasys 3D printer

“3D-printed prototypes are a crucial element because it’s always important to touch and feel a product, rather than just looking at a SOLIDWORKS model. And because I present a lot of products to the big box retail market, I can easily show off the prototypes to customers.”

He added that with the TriFlex, different vendors are making different parts, and the prototypes gave him the confidence he needed before cutting metal for tooling.

A Team Approach

When Jeff is happy with a product design, he shows it to his injection molding vendor, who can then optimize it for manufacturing.

“I brought my manufacturer into discussions with a few people from TriMech,” Jeff said. “We all collaborated to move the project along. It was so helpful to connect my vendors this way.”

Opportunities for Growth

Jeff said that Spectra is a large company with the feel of a small business and that the owners invest heavily in growth. In his creative role, he particularly appreciates that company leadership gets behind his ideas and invests in R&D, including assistance from TriMech Design Solutions.

“It’s important for me and for Spectra to have the support to take my ideas from my mind to a finished product on the retail shelf.”

Jeff expects to have future opportunities to point out TriMech’s services across other areas of the business.

“I remember when it was time to invest in my initial block of engineering hours. I wasn’t sure how many to contract or if I would even need them all over the proposed term. Here we are, just over a year later, and I’ve added hours several times. We have developed a trusted relationship in a short time, and I’m happy to introduce TriMech to others in my company.”

Spectra can be found online at spectraguttersystems.com

Ready to Streamline Your Product Development Process?

With TriMech’s SOLIDWORKS expertise and rapid prototyping capabilities, you can bring your ideas to life faster than ever before. Whether you need design collaboration, quick turnaround on prototypes, or access to simulation tools, we’ve got you covered.

To see how else TriMech Design Solutions can help, read our blog here.

The post Outsourcing Engineering to TriMech Improves Time to Market for Spectra Gutter Systems Products appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

TriMech Design Solutions’ expertise can seamlessly integrate at any stage of the process, no prerequisites needed! Our team has experience helping clients navigate this tricky process, and with our design services, you can trust that you’re in the right hands. In this post, we will guide you through the typical stages of the product development process and explain how leveraging our design services can provide the assurance you need at every stage.

Stage 1: Ideation Process

The journey begins with an idea, a problem that needs a solution. Let’s imagine a scenario: You have a new design for a smart speaker. Amazing! But how do you turn this idea into something real? Great ideas are just the beginning but turning them into something tangible requires the right implementation tools and guidance.

Smart speaker digital prototype

This is where TriMech Design Solutions comes in. We provide the expertise and support required to shapeshift your vision into a tangible concept. We facilitate back-and-forth collaboration to refine your idea and provide CAD work based on sketches and descriptions to build new ideas. At this stage, you might have a general problem definition but lack concrete refinement. At this stage, it can be difficult to determine the best course of action. Approximately 30% of our interactions lead our team to identify alternative solutions more suitable for the client rather than working directly with our team. However, in cases where TriMech Design Solutions is the optimal choice, our engineers enjoy working with clients early in the ideation phase.

The duration of the ideation phase varies upon several factors, including the number of collaborators looking to provide input and the level of resource allocation. One benefit of working with TriMech Design Solutions is the flexibility to tailor our services to the direct requirements and desires of each project or client rather than trying to fit each project into a box with certain parameters for each stage.

Stage 2: Initial Prototyping

With a clearer concept in hand, we move on to the innovative stage of initial prototyping. Here, we dive into a specific idea that you and your client favor. Offering product design services at the forefront of our business, we refine the general concept, making critical decisions about the size of the hardware and the required sturdiness of the design.

3D printed prototypes

TriMech Design Solutions can create prototypes both through CAD and 3D printing, allowing us to evaluate and test the viability of your design. This stage may involve creating an alpha prototype, which serves as an early version of your product. This initial prototyping stage can act as a launchpad for further refinement to create more advanced prototypes to shape your idea into a tangible reality.

Stage 3: Further Refining

After the initial prototyping, it’s common to discover areas that require improvement. Our team goes back to the CAD models to modify components and create new pieces. The iterative process continues with further prototyping, getting you closer to your goal. Our TriMech Design Solutions Team has the expertise to guide you through each change along the way, helping your product or idea evolve beyond what you originally imagined.

Testing physical design elements

Beyond Engineering Design Services at TriMech

Our team at TriMech Design Solutions understands that designing and turning an idea into reality can be part of a broader scope. We can provide a boost of manpower and supplemental support that you need to boost your project in a timely fashion. We’ll collaborate with you to rekindle your design to meet engineering design services and manufacturing requirements.

We adapt to what the manufacturer needs, whether it’s a 3D model or a full drawing package with dimensions and tolerances. With flexible options like fixed-cost quoting and hourly block quotes, we tailor our services to fit your specific project. TriMech Design Solutions’ expertise can seamlessly integrate into any stage of the design process. This versatility makes TriMech Design Solutions an indispensable partner for prototyping and refinement at any level.

Are you ready to embark on your product development journey? Let TriMech Design Solutions be your trusted advisor, and contact us today!

The post Engineering Design Services: Going From Ideation to Manufacturing appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

Compound that with a myriad of different 3D printing technologies and it is easy to get overwhelmed and fall back to your old friend – the STL. But don’t worry, we’re here to clear up any confusion. Watch the on-demand webinar video below to learn about file formats:

About this 3D Printing File Formats On-demand Webinar

TriMech’s Lead 3D Printing Applications Engineer, Ricky Shannon takes a .STEP by .STP approach (yeah, I did that) and goes over the most common file types used in 3D printing. While he isn’t able to explore every obscure format out there, he does cover the most common file extensions exportable on leading modeling programs. He might even cover a few you didn’t know you can 3D print from. Ricky takes the mystery out of when-to-use-what and maybe even debunks a few misnomers on the way. If you do any 3D printing or even just setup files to print, this on-demand webinar is for you.

In this on-demand webinar Ricky covers:

• Why you shouldn’t be using STLs
• What file types carry color data
• Which file types and settings impact part accuracy
• How to 3D printing from native CAD files from GrabCAD Print
• Why your SOLIDWORKS file might be the best 3D print format of all?

Need your part 3D Printed?

Try our on-demand 3D Printing Service to get your SOLIDWORKS CAD files built.

The post Understanding 3D Printing File Formats appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

Now, in 2022, the emphasis from material developers has shifted to resins and thermoplastics focused of making strong parts, capable of being used in actual real-world applications. In many situations, new printers and technologies are capable of taking the place of traditional manufacturing methods!

Watch the on-demand webinar as TriMech Solutions Consultant, Rich Annino, shows the newest Additive Manufacturing machines / 3D Printers from Stratasys, how these printers work to make strong parts and new materials that push the envelope.

During this Additive Manufacturing On-demand Webinar you will learn:

• More about the newest 3D Printers from Stratasys
• How these printers work to make strong parts
• New materials that push the envelope

This TriMech Solution Webinar is presented by:

Rich Annino, Solutions Consultant – Additive

Rich is the senior member of our Hardware Solutions Consultant Team and has also served as the Advanced Manufacturing Services Shop Manager at our Rocky Hill Connecticut Facility, having worked hands on with our cutting edge additive manufacturing technologies daily for over 9 years. His extensive knowledge of these Additive Solutions puts him in a unique position to be able to explain these technologies and processes in granular detail. In his previous role, Rich was responsible for the running and maintaining of over a million dollars in additive manufacturing machinery on a day to day basis, and in his new role Rich has been taking that high level of machine and operation knowledge to our client’s and help them determine what the best Additive Solution is available to fit their needs.

The post A New Era for Additive Manufacturing Durability appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

How does it work?

Medical Imaging technology utilizes the radio density of the tissue and will assign it a certain grayscale brightness based on that density. For example, bone is denser than fat so it will appear brighter on the scan. Due to this principle, designers can add specific amounts of the RadioMatrix material to a PolyJet 3D printed model which is using the Vero family of materials. The designer can assign specific Hounsfield (HU) values to the individual material slices in order to give the part specific grayscale contrast when viewed as a CT or X-Ray scan.

Currently available PolyJet materials cover only 5% of the total dynamic range of the HU scale. RadioMatrix targets this market by covering a much greater range. The increase in dynamic range available with RadioMatrix results in its ability to precisely illustrate intricacies within these structures.

Why is this useful?

This medical 3D printing material will allow the medical industry to assist both training and treatment planning. RadioMatrix brings DICOM images to the real world. Clinicians can now highlight specific anatomies within the model so surgeons and medical students can practice procedures that require contrast media. In addition to medical professionals, medical device manufacturers can test, demo, calibrate and tune their medical devices without the need to expose their researchers to unneeded radiation.

RadioMatrix introduces us to the ability to take a scan out of the 2D space and bring it into a 3D world. This gives students, patients, researchers and other medical professionals the ability to gain a new perspective and ultimately further the advancement of medical tooling, education and treatments.

The post All new medical 3D printing material: RadioMatrix appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

What are the Best Applications for ABS-ESD7?

This material is particularly useful when creating jigs and fixtures for sensitive electronic devices. Think of a PCB part holding fixture for an automated soldering process. If an electrostatic charge is released, your part could be ruined. It’s not just for automated processes either, ABS-ESD7 could be great for a manual assembly process as well. People and clothing can build up electro-static charges. If you have ever taken off a fleece sweatshirt, you probably can attest to this.

FDM material ABS-ESD7 part

Another great benefit of ABS-ESD7 is that its properties also prevent dust and fine airborne particles from sticking and collecting on its surface. The last booming use for this material that we will talk about is for fuel delivery and storage products. If there were a static discharge, the material will “bleed off” the charge in a controlled manner and prevent an explosive detonation.

Working with ABS-ESD7

ABS-ESD7 part

When working with ABS-ESD7 you may need to bond two parts together or sand or finish parts. The good news is all the most common methods that work for other 3D printed parts will work with this material. ABS-ESD7 can easily be bonded by using solvents, epoxies, hot-air welding, and common CA glue. One thing to note is that extra precautions must be taken when sanding because it will release carbon particles into the air. Respirators must be utilized that are rated for airborne carbon. Sanding should also be done in a well-ventilated space away from others that are not wearing a respirator. Please refer to the safety data sheet for additional information.

ABS-ESD7 part

ABS-ESD7 is a great fit for inspection and assembly of electronic devices, for use in offices, labs, cleanrooms, or in fuel storage and delivery environments. If you want to learn more about Stratasys FDM 3D printers and materials, please contact us. We have a team of solutions consultants ready to help you with any questions or concerns you might have.

The post Stratasys FDM Material Spotlight: ABS-ESD7 appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

What is Stereolithography?

Stereolithography (SL), marks the original 3D printing technology. This process uses a vat filled with liquid UV curable resin and a UV laser which solidifies each individual layer to build the part. The laser energizes the liquid resin and works to link the photopolymer chains iteratively to form a three-dimensional object.

Consumers continuously invest in this technology due to its proven ability to save cost, time and other valuable resources compared to traditional manufacturing methods.

Key Benefits of SL Printing Technology

• Improved Time to Market: SL technology features UV resin which has a very high curing speed resulting in parts that are built faster. This increases turnover time for design iterations and expedites the development process.
• Limited Post Processing: High accuracy UV lasers increase the parts surface finish and limit the support structure compared to other additive manufacturing processes. This reduces the total time and effort required for post processing and part finishing, saving both time and cost.
• Wide range of materials: SL technology exposes users to a high range of UV curable materials. This provides customers with the ability to find materials that will fit their individual mechanical, physical and cosmetic needs.

Key Features of the Stratasys Neo

• Large Print Volume: Print large parts without sacrificing part quality and avoid having to section the part and assemble it post printing, saving both saving time and cost. (Neo800 800 x 800 x 600 millimeters, Neo450 450 x 450 x 400 millimeters)
• Open resin system: The Neo prides itself on providing clients with the flexibility to print using any commercially available 355nm resin. This reduces the cost and ensures the parts will adhere to the specific color and functional requirements of each individual client.
• Dynamic Laser Focusing: Advanced laser position allows for high dimensional accuracy and increased surface finish quality, enabling clients to have confidence in consistent high-quality prints.

Stratasys Neo Model Options

Benefits of the Neo

Stratasys Neo stereolithography 3D Printer

• Reduced finishing time by up to 50%: The Neo is capable of producing parts with a very high dimensional accuracy and industry leading part surface quality. The combination of the two results in the need to dedicate less resources to part finishing, saving both time and cost.
• Enhanced workflow: The Neo employs an intuitive software system which helps to streamline daily operation and helps add functionality to the operations. Stratasys works to incorporate client suggestions and feedback into future software updates, helping to drive progressive, meaningful changes to their systems.
• Large Build Volume: The Neo incorporates a larger build volume which gives the user the flexibility to easily produce medium and large parts, without the need to segment the CAD files and assemble to parts post printing. Furthermore, the large build volume also allows the user to print several smaller parts at once, maximizing the printer’s throughput and reducing operator time required to clean and set up the printer for each build.

Example Part Quality

The post Introducing the Stratasys Stereolithography 3D Printer: Neo appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

Prototyping, research, product development and manufacturing aids have been the long-standing pillars of the 3D printing universe – but times are changing.

With the recent disruptions to supply chains and the increasing demand for more custom-tailored consumer products, 3D printing is rapidly shifting from low volume parts to production end-use applications.

Watch the on-demand webinar as TriMech’s Additive Manufacturing Solutions Consultant, Rich Annino, discusses two leading additive technologies that are the tip of the spear when it comes to production grade parts – P3 and SAF. Not familiar with SAF and P3 technology? No worries, Rich will guide everyone through what makes these technologies unique to the field and more importantly, how they are being used to manufacture end-use parts and how that is positively impacting manufacturers and consumers alike.

Included in the 3D Printed End-Use Parts demo

In this on-demand webinar, Rich covers:

• What manufacturing hurdles is Additive aiming to solve?
• Which types of parts are good candidates for a transition to Additive Manufacturing (AM)?
• How Additive Manufacturing is reducing reliance on injection mold tooling.
• Which production 3D Printing technology is right for your product?
• How leading manufacturers are already successfully implementing AM in their products.

This TriMech Solution Webinar is presented by:

Rich Annino – Additive Solutions Consultant

Rich is the newest member of the TriMech Hardware Solutions Consultant team, but prior to that Rich served as the Advanced Manufacturing Services Shop Manager at our Rocky Hill Connecticut Facility, and has been working hands on with our cutting edge additive manufacturing technologies daily for over 8 years. His extensive knowledge of our Additive Technologies puts him in a unique position to be able to explain these technologies and processes in granular detail.

In his previous role, Rich was responsible for the running and maintaining over a million dollars in additive manufacturing machinery on a day to day basis, and in his new role Rich will be taking that high level of machine and operation knowledge to our client’s and help them determine what the best Additive Solution is available to fit their needs.

The post Production Grade 3D Printed End-Use Parts appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

Someone that has been in the industry for the last 15 to 20 years may use terminology like “grown” or “digitally grown” to refer to 3D printing. This is typically referring to Stereolithography (SLA) printers that use a vat of resin to polymerize a part because the parts look like they are growing out of the vat of liquid.

There are many 3D printing technologies available, but the three main polymer technologies include FDM, PolyJet and SL technology. In the last year, Stratasys added two innovative technologies with the Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF) and Programmable PhotoPolymerization (P3). Each of these technologies offers its own advantages and excels in different applications.

FDM stands for Fused Deposition Modeling and uses a filament material that is extruded along a predetermined tool path. Support material is also extruded and this acts as a scaffold to allow printing overhangs. This is the original filament style that was invented by Stratasys founder Scott Crump in the 1980s and is largely unchanged. If you were to look at a 3D printer from 15 years ago, it would be similar to the 3D printers that you see today. It is the process and materials that have changed. If we look at the three FDM machines shown below, they have build volumes starting at ten inches cubed up to three feet by two feet by three feet. There are also machines that can build even larger parts on the diagonal. They also offer a wide range of 3D printing materials with the Stratasys F900 offering the most with fifteen thermoplastic options.

FDM F900 in Additive Manufacturing Center

Top 5 Industries for FDM 3D Printing >> 

FDM is an easy-to-use and general fit technology. If you are interested in bringing 3D printing in-house, we typically like to start by asking what are you doing now and what do you hope to do in the future? The answer to this question will help us to understand what the best fit is for your needs.

Design Communication

One area we see FDM having a lot of success is design communication. Prototypes are usually made to show the team how the part looks and feels. It is less function-driven and more of a fit and finish approach. If you have an electronics enclosure, for example, you might have a new component that needs to fit in the enclosure. 3D printing a prototype to test the fit is a great opportunity to determine if it is going to work.

Another example is the airplane wing prototype printed in ULTEM 9085 shown below. A physical prototype that can be held can dramatically speed up the design process saving both time and costs.  Why Choose FDM for Production Parts >> 

Processed ULTEM 9085 airplane wing

Fixture Design

Another great area of opportunity for 3D printing is fixture design. 3D printing allows you to prototype quickly and make parts that don’t have CAD drawings using 3D scanners. Creating a fixture can be more difficult and this is where 3D printing and 3D scanning can have an impact. We can scan the parts and create a fixture designed specifically for additive manufacturing. This is called designing for additive manufacturing (DFAM), and it’s a design process that allows for making parts that work very well and would be cost or time prohibitive to use alternative methods. An example of this would be a company that makes a part that requires customization. This is a good opportunity to create parts that don’t require tooling.

Jig & Fixtures Example

The Success of FDM 3D Printing

FDM 3D printing can be successful for low volume, high complexity applications and prototyping. We can make large parts very quickly, especially compared to traditional manufacturing methods. Additive manufacturing allows us to not only save costs but also save time in labor and production.

Download our whitepaper to learn more about: 

• Reducing manufacturing cost
• Improving production efficiency
• Minimizing lead times and delays

The post The Potential of FDM Technology appeared first on The Javelin Blog.

Food Safe Material ULTEM 1010 CG

ULTEM 1010 CG is one of the most under-rated Stratasys preferred material in the Fortus material ecosystem.  It boasts a slew of certifications such as ISO10993/ USP CLASS VI and is approved for food contact with NSF 51. While its high strength and heat defection temperature of 214.1℃ (417.3 ℉), usually make it an appealing choice for aerospace engineering, it is also a top choice among food production manufacturers as well. ULTEM 1010 CG also includes all of the necessary documentation for traceability in accordance with these certifications.

Toast press made with food safe ULTEM 1010 3D printing material

For this particular application, we used SOLIDWORKS to help us design a toast press. The device is placed on top of the bread and then pressed down upon, imprinting the image on the piece of bread. The compressed parts of the bread toast more slowly, hence the lighter color, revealing the logo as seen below. It is important to note that we mirrored the image of the logo, so that when pressed onto the slice of bread, the image would show up correctly.

Toast made with 3D printed toast press

FDM 3D Printing Materials

Thanks to the insanely high heat deflection temperature, our toast press is also dishwasher safe, so we can use this device again and again! FDM technology offers a large selection of materials for various applications. Follow the link below to learn more about the materials available.

Learn More

The post 3D Printing Food Safe Material appeared first on The Javelin Blog.