Automotive glass manufacturer Saint-Gobain Sekurit used 3D printing technology from BCN3D to produce tooling components at improved costs and in reduced lead times.

The company has been using 3D printing technology in-house at the L’Arboç factory in Barcelona since 2019, after years of outsourcing its tooling manufacturing, saving hundreds of thousands of euros. Saint-Gobain Sekurit counts Daimler Mercedes, Stellantis Group, Volkswagen Group, Renault Dacia and Ford among its customers.

By leveraging multiple BCN3D Epsilon W50 series 3D printers and accompanying smart cabinets, Saint-Gobain Sekurit would have found it easier to develop new ideas, create prototypes in a shorter time, and run tests in a matter of seconds. days. Additive manufacturing has been integrated into the company’s tooling operations that facilitate the production of rear and side panels for vehicles. 3D printing has been deployed for tooling components such as jigs and positioning devices that are expected to contribute to more efficient glazing production lines.

In packaging gripper printing, of which four units are needed per year, the company was able to reduce cost per part from €230 to €2.50 and turnaround time from one week to six hours, while printing a case cover (eight units per year) saw the cost per part fall from €210 to €8 and the delivery time from three weeks to six hours. An order of eight units for the check gauges, meanwhile, generated annual savings of €4,072 with cost per part reduced from €510 to €0.10 and lead time reduced from one week to 30 minutes. Two of the company’s biggest successes are the circular focuser and square focuser components, both of which have been produced in annual units of 80. The 3D-printed circular focuser parts have generated annual savings of €12,720 and 3D printed square focus parts generated annual savings of €8,453 – cost per part: €0.45 and €0.60 respectively.

Since adopting the technology in 2019, Saint-Gobain’s Sekurit business is expected to have saved approximately €170,000 and reduced lead times by 93%.

“At Sekurit, we have been manufacturing automotive components for 90 years. Thanks to 3D printing, we have experienced a significant reduction in costs and a faster workflow adapted to our needs in tooling manufacturing since we have integrated this technology compared to the external suppliers we have used in the past,” commented Angel Salas, Saint-Gobain maintenance engineer. at the factory in Barcelona.

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