YKK Eu zip stratasys
YKK Europe, a manufacturer of zips and fasteners for clothing and accessories, has been using a Stratasys Objet 350 Connex3 to produce prototypes.
It made the move to install a 3D printer as global demand for its products continued to grow. So far, the company says it has enjoyed significant time reductions, allowing it to get its products to market faster. The Connex3 was supplied by Stratasys reseller, SYS Systems, and has been used to produce die block inserts for YKK’s injection mould tools in under two hours. Previously, it would take the company a week or more.
Best known for its production of zippers, YKK is a supplier of an array of fasteners, including hook-and-loop tapes, plastic buckles, and buttons. Thanks to the Connex3 at its UK research and development centre in Cheshire, it is also printing oversized zipper elements, or teeth, and slider components to help confirm design concepts, before actual-size prototyping is carried out using injection moulding.
“Today, the world’s textile and sewing product industries are seeing ever greater diversification in consumer needs and shorter product cycles, which means we must work even harder to speed up product development and reduce costs,” said Mark Davies, from YKK’s Product and Machinery Development team. “We picked PolyJet technology due to the potential to have up to 100 materials, including blends and colours, available on the tray at any one time. In combination with high resolution, we knew this would more than cover our requirements for the foreseeable future.
“During prototyping we don’t have to machine four or five inserts of metal as we work through various iterations. We can simply make our design modifications and start another 3D print. The amount of time this saves during product development is significant, to say the least.”
In addition to the time saving benefits, YKK has also experienced greater design freedom. The company has particularly enjoyed the Connex3’s ability to print in 16-micron layers, and also the different colours and highly durable materials available to incorporate into the same build.
