Mifa: Or how 3D printing helps in production

There are many ways 3D printing can be used: prototyping, final products, gadgets, investment casting, art, etc. But companies, especially the ones where physical products are being made, are increasingly  looking at 3D printing for something else: tools, fixtures and parts in production. Like Mifa does. Mifa is a nearby company specialized in aluminium profiles.

 

Mifa is a leading company in the extrusion of magnesium profiles and aluminium profiles. They produce fully-finished precision products with dimensional tolerances from ± 0.02 mm. This level of aluminium extrusion precision means unprecedented possibilities. It gives designers enormous freedom in design, without the restrictions of standard specifications. As a result of this it is possible to achieve the optimum product.

About a year ago Mifa made the decision to purchase a Stacker S4 printer. Because internally there was not enough capacity in house to have tooling made the conventional way, they started with their first Ultimaker at the end of 2015. We talked with Daan Broeksteeg, project engineer, why they use 3D printing and the Stacker in combination with colorFabb filaments in particular.

Testing 3d printed clamping parts at Mifa

“The primary goal was to print clamping devices for our CNC machines. However, we found that 3D printing has many advantages and is being used in almost all departments of our company one way or another,” says Daan. “For instance, molds to bundle packages in or verification molds.” The Ultimaker printers were a great start for Mifa to get to learn to process of 3D printing and get people familiar with the process, but the need arose for a more industrial printer. With colorFabb as Stacker’s distributor in the vicinity the contacts were easily made.

Daan says: “Stacker has added value because of the tight tolerances that are very important in CNC milling. Because Stacker produces four parts at the same time, the dimensional deviation between the prints is minimal. This is definitely the main advantage of the Stacker.” As from the beginning Mifa uses colorFabb_XT for its parts. colorFabb_XT is made with Amphora AM1800 3D polymer is a low-odor, styrene-free choice that is uniquely suited for 3D printing applications. Daan explains why:

“We have done extensive research for the best material we should use. We found that colorFabb_XT has minimal moisture absorption (<1%) which is a benefit in a CNC environment with coolant nearby.”

It is clear that the Stacker 3D printer in combination with the right materials has advantages for Mifa’s CNC department. And it doesn’t stop there. Daan explains that as 3D printing is used in multiple departments, the printers are moving around a bit. It is the goal to have a dedicated print lab in the near future.

We thank Daan Broeksteeg for his contribution to this blog.

 

After our blog about Optima Staaltechniek Mifa is another great example of how 3D printing brings added value to a company that needs reliability and quality delivered to its customers. The match of the Stacker printer with our range of functional co-polyesters, is a perfect all-in-one solution.

The Stacker S2 and S4 are industrial grade FFF 3D printers. Multiple print heads and a large build volume make them versatile printers. Small series production or large scale prototyping are no problem for the Stacker printers! This US based printer is very reliable and is a perfect match for any professional looking for serious 3D printing. You can find the full product specifications on our dedicated Stacker page.

For Stacker the term “industrial grade” is not a hollow marketing term. It means their printers are designed for extra long service life, extremely low maintenance and that the printer will maintain its positional accuracy throughout its life cycle. This printer has been designed to be used in a professional environment, be it for large prototypes or small series production.

As many of you know, we are the distributor of Stacker 3D printers in Europe. We have been working with Stacker ever since their first prototype and now have several in our print lab. In the past 5 years we have seen 3D printing emerging from a hobby market to more professional uses. A lot of our users are using 3D printing to make a living or at least support their business in one way or another.

Interested? Get a quote or contact us!

Stacker at Optima

Stacker 3D printers are industrial grade. It has been said many times before and one can see by the way they are built these machines were made with professional use in mind. colorFabb is the distributor of Stacker in the EMEA region for quite a while now and in today’s blog we highlight the use of the Stacker at one of our customers: Optima Staaltechniek, a Dutch company specialized in CAD drawing, steel renovation and project management. It has now branched out to 3D printing as well.

O3D Printing | Logo

Optima is a company that was founded in 1997 and has been known for its reliability and knowledge at all aspects of its business. Optima 3D, the printing arm of the company, stems from a small but specialized machineshop where constructions were and are fabricated for trucking, bagage handling and various smart constructions for the building industry. Optima currently has a Stacker S4 running in their shop to produce prototypes and small series of products for their customers. We talked to Rob Beemster, owner and founder, about the choices he made regarding 3D printing.

 

Why 3D printing?

Rob: “In the search for a higher level of technology and building a better environment the decision was made to start developing a way of building machine – and other parts through added manufacturing”

Why choose Stacker?

“The Stacker machine was selected, amongst others, because of size, multiple printer heads and utilization of materials that we deem necessary for our product range.”

What is it that you produce on the Stacker?

“Optima 3D manufactures a range of half products for the marine, agriculture and machine industry.”

What are the current experiences with the Stacker printer?

“Added to our various other machines Stacker is utilized for the somewhat bigger-, multiple – and parts where supports need printing.”

What materials are you using and why?

“In general we print with colorFabb’s range of co-polyester filaments and with XT-CF20 in particular. Its surface finish, stiffness and accuracy are the main avantages. For the big prints we use PETG. Strong prints that need to be heat resistant are usually printer with colorFabb_HT.”

Visit Optima’s website (Dutch)

 

 

 

Optima Staaltechniek is a a perfect example of how 3D printing brings added value to a company that needs reliability and quality delivered to its customers. The match of the Stacker printer with our range of functional co-polyester is a perfect all-in-one solution.

The Stacker S2 and S4 are industrial grade FFF 3D printers. Multiple print heads and a large build volume make them versatile printers. Small series production or large scale prototyping are no problem for the Stacker printers! This US based printer is very reliable and is a perfect match for any professional looking for serious 3D printing. You can find the full product specifications on our dedicated Stacker page.

For Stacker the term “industrial grade” is not a hollow marketing term. It means their printers are designed for extra long service life, extremely low maintenance and that the printer will maintain its positional accuracy throughout its life cycle. This printer has been designed to be used in a professional environment, be it for large prototypes or small series production.

As many of you know, we are the distributor of Stacker 3D printers in Europe. We have been working with Stacker ever since their first prototype and now have several in our print lab. In the past 5 years we have seen 3D printing emerging from a hobby market to more professional uses. A lot of our users are using 3D printing to make a living or at least support their business in one way or another.

Interested? Get a quote or contact us!