3D Printing & Prototyping

Rutland Plastics has the capability to produce rapid fully functional prototypes in-house for you to confidently test the functionality of your products prior to committing to the investment in a mould tool.

Our Design Engineers will work with you to refine your design to ensure that your part is optimised for injection moulding. Rutland Plastics was an early adopter of 3D printing having bought our first printer in 2011. Not only do we use 3D printing for our customers but we also use it to create end-of-arm tooling for the collaborative robots in use in the factory, due to the parts being strong and durable but also lightweight. In addition, we use 3D printing to create jigs and fixtures to assist the manufacturing process.

NYLON 12 WITH A CARBON FIBRE FILL

Our advanced 3D prints in Nylon 12 with a 35% Carbon Fibre (CF) fill give unparalleled strength and stiffness to prototypes, and indeed low volume production parts, jigs and fixtures, plus end-of-arm robot tooling that we produce.

Finished prototype parts can be painted, machined, drilled or chrome plated. All materials are REACH compliant. Rapid prototypes produced using this method are as life-like as the final manufactured items so form, fit and function can be accurately tested prior to the mould tool being made.

Sometimes it is necessary for product assemblies to be manufactured from a combination of materials. Traditional prototyping can be expensive in these instances. We are able to manufacture parts and assemblies made from multiple materials and with different mechanical properties.

END OF ARM TOOLING & JIGS/FIXTURES

Built with integrated functions; mechanisms, air channels and mounts for sensors directly incorporated into parts printed in carbon fibre reinforced Nylon

FUNCTIONAL PROTOTYPES

Printed parts that are lightweight but stronger and stiffer than typical prototypes. Fully functional, resistant to corrosive environments and able to withstand real world conditions.

LOW VOLUME PRODUCTION

Prototypes can help us, in partnership with you, refine the design for manufacture.

HELPING YOU ALONG THE WAY

Working in partnership with you: as part of our design for manufacture for injection moulding, we offer free design advice and support

TAKING IT FURTHER

Our free design for manufacture advice will help you take your project further. It is important that your prototypes simulate future production parts in terms of functionality. We can also provide you with advice on material selection.

RAPID TURNAROUND

Prototypes are made in the UK to ensure no delay to your moulding project.

END OF ARM ROBOT TOOLING

Carbon fibre printed end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT) and gripper systems offers a number of great advantages:

Intricate, slim and complex parts can be printed
Speed and cost savings
Lightweight EOAT assist payload constraints
Weight reduction improves motor efficiency, speed and performance.
Durable and strong

JIGS & FIXURES

You can be assured of our expertise with jigs and fixtures because we print our own. Not only can jigs and fixtures be created far quicker than traditional methods but they are cheaper too, and highly durable for the rigours of a workplace environment.

ACCURACY

Wall sections from a minimum of 1mm are possible with an accuracy of parts of 0.5mm*. The maximum build size of any part we are able to offer is 355mm x 305mm x 305mm. Larger plastic prototypes are possible by joining two or more models.

*Parts are produced within an accuracy of ± .127 mm (± .005 in.) or ± .0015 mm/mm (± .0015 in/in), whichever is greater).