Parts for Exodusrope

A company that makes parachute lines and develops defence products.

We were glad to help them produce a first run of 60 sets of a new product they had developed.

What is particular about a first run

A first run is the moment a product goes from a file to something real, and it almost always turns up things that were not visible on a screen: fit, tolerances, weak points. 60 sets is a quantity that lets you actually test that – enough units for real use in the field, and few enough to correct without throwing away a mould.

The project was produced in MJF – Multi Jet Fusion, nylon powder printing. The part is built layer by layer inside a powder bed, with no supports, and the whole build volume is available for parts. That is what makes the technology suit small runs exactly: the chamber can be filled with dozens of different parts in one build, with no dedicated tooling to pay for.

The material is nylon 12 (PA12) – an engineering material with good mechanical durability, dimensional stability and an even matte finish. See more on choosing a material.

Why we chose 3D printing

• Small quantity – tens of units, not thousands. An injection mould does not pay for itself at that volume.
• Timescale – days to weeks, rather than months for tooling.
• Room to change – the file can be corrected and a new version printed without starting development again.
• Geometric complexity – shapes that cannot be milled or cast come straight off the printer.

Products in the defence field have to survive in the field and come with documentation. See 3D printing for the defence industry.

A similar project of your own?

Send us a file or a description of the problem and you will get a recommendation on technology, material and timescale – talk to an engineer. See also product design and development and 3D printing production.