Located in Germany, IBL Hydronic provides electronic solutions, hydraulic systems, and custom software for construction machinery, municipal machinery, agricultural and forestry machinery, as well as other specialized machines and vehicles.

By installing the Fuse 1 SLS 3D printer, they can create functional prototypes in a short time and produce complex hydraulic parts for real-world applications in-house.

In our interview, Tom Heindl, a technical product designer for 3D printing at IBL Hydronic, discussed how SLS 3D printing promotes innovation in control system solutions and how the workflow can be optimized and accelerated as a result.

Development of Automation Control Systems for Machinery and Vehicles

IBL Hydronic develops and manufactures control systems for various types of industrial machinery, such as construction vehicles, agricultural and forestry machinery, and municipal vehicles. In this specialized market, the company offers both hardware for control devices and corresponding custom software.

“We develop innovative hydraulic and electronic solutions. Our portfolio ranges from simple control blocks to fully connected control devices, including advanced user interfaces,” Heindl explains.

To quickly respond to specific customer requests, IBL produces most parts in-house, where 3D printing plays a crucial role.

After some past projects proved that IBL had reached the limits of traditional manufacturing processes in terms of structure and design, they began to consider 3D printing solutions more seriously. Initially, these tasks were carried out by external 3D printing service providers, but the demand was so high that in 2019, the company invested in their first in-house 3D printer.

“For 3D printing, what has always been very important for us is that the aesthetic features, such as layer lines of the print, must be invisible, and we want to maximize design freedom. After encountering quality issues in the early stages with other types of 3D printing technology, we decided to choose the Fuse 1 SLS 3D printer,” Heindl said.

Heindl sees the lack of support structures as a key advantage of SLS 3D printing technology, and printing with nylon powder on the Fuse 1 has opened up many new opportunities for valuable projects that would not be feasible with other methods.

The ease of use of the printer is another important factor for Heindl and his team, as it allows as many colleagues as possible to operate the printer, enabling them to develop and improve the development and production processes more efficiently.

“Having an SLS 3D printer means we no longer need to use manufacturing methods like CNC milling, turning, or machining. Of course, this saves us a lot of time, money, and space,” Heindl said.

“With the ease of use and streamlined workflow of SLS 3D printing, you can fully focus on the product and design. This greatly simplifies our processes,”

Tom Heindl, technical product designer for 3D printing, IBL Hydronic

Since 2019, IBL has continuously expanded its 3D printing operations to meet the growing demand.

3D Printing of Custom Parts for Real-World Applications in Small to Medium Quantities

The key advantage of having the Fuse 1 in-house is flexibility, which allows Heindl and his team to elevate customer focus to another level.

IBL can hardly use off-the-shelf components when developing control systems for agricultural machinery manufacturers or municipal vehicle manufacturers. Instead, they focus on the specific challenges and needs of each customer and develop tailored solutions using their own SLS 3D printer.

This is a unique selling point in their specialized market, setting them apart from competitors who use subtractive manufacturing methods or injection molding processes.

Injection molding also comes with high costs and complexities that cannot yield profits for the company when considering the low production volumes of small series manufacturing.

“Manufacturers in this industry typically produce their vehicles and equipment in relatively small quantities, which means we produce many items in batches of about 100 to 250 pieces. For us, investing in a large in-house production machine that would only be used occasionally and for small volumes is completely impossible,” Heindl explains.

Control system solutions created with SLA and SLS 3D printing technology, customized for customers' agricultural and forestry machinery.

With the ability to deliver quickly and fully utilize the 3D printer, the return on investment (ROI) for the Fuse 1 SLS printer in-house is positive.

Additionally, the company can now acquire new customers through their increased manufacturing capabilities.

3D Printed Control Modules for Agricultural Machinery

One of the latest projects IBL Hydronic undertook was the development of a control panel for an agricultural machinery manufacturer, which needed to be customized for a specific model. This project was completed in record time.

After a development period of just one month, the control module was finished and could be presented to the customer.

Applying a special surface finish to the 3D model gives the outer shell a leather-like appearance, making it almost impossible to notice that this part was produced using 3D printing.

The frame parts were printed using SLS 3D printing technology, then assembled and fitted with leather armrests.

To create a design that is not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing, the team added surface patterns to the skin of the 3D model during the design phase.

After that, the SLS printed parts were smoothed and dyed using a dipping dyeing process.

The result is an assembly consisting of parts for real-world use, all produced with SLS 3D printing, featuring a leather-like surface that enhances aesthetics and completes the overall design.

The control panel frame parts were printed on the Fuse 1 using Nylon 12 material, then smoothed and dyed.

The IBL team utilizes both SLS and SLA 3D printing technologies to leverage all the design freedom and functionality that additive manufacturing can offer.

For example, small parts like white and orange buttons were produced using SLA 3D printing, which is one of the few 3D printing technologies capable of printing semi-transparent and transparent parts.

In this control module, for instance, functions can be integrated with software so that the buttons can emit a flashing warning signal in case of a system error.

The speed and flexibility that additive manufacturing provides are fundamental factors in IBL's product development process for new control modules.

Long waiting times, which arise from working with external manufacturing providers during the discussion and planning stages, can be significantly reduced through in-house 3D printing, allowing the company to deliver results to customers more quickly.

“With 3D printing, I can deliver the first prototype to the customer within two to three weeks, with quality close to that of actual mass production,”

Tom Heindl, technical product designer for 3D printing, IBL Hydronic

Moreover, design changes can be implemented much more easily and quickly compared to traditional manufacturing methods.

“You can also work quickly in the completely opposite direction with 3D printing. The speed at which I can modify CAD files and print them out immediately, without needing to create molds or set up machines, is unmatched by any other manufacturing method, such as CNC machining,” Heindl said.

Enhancing Competitiveness through SLS 3D Printing

Heindl and his team are planning to build on the experience they have gained and expand into new materials, new manufacturing capabilities, and future design possibilities.

Projects like this 3D printed control panel have laid the groundwork for new approaches and opened up broader perspectives for their future projects.

“If we hadn’t invested in an in-house 3D printer and learned this process, we wouldn’t have gained some of our customers,”

Tom Heindl, technical product designer for 3D printing, IBL Hydronic

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Sources

https://formlabs.com/blog/manufacturing-control-systems-for-machines-with-sls-3d-printing/