High repeatability of ESD performance and dimensional accuracy

These parts, designed to be integrated within an existing production line, provide thermal protection between two components within a machine. The optimised material printing profile combined with the Ultimaker S5, result in parts with minimal batch-to-batch dimensional variation and high levels of ESD performance.

Surface defects impact ESD performance, which would inevitably alter the dissipation of charges. Therefore, Hänssler’s parts must be reproducible for both ESD behaviour and dimensional accuracy in addition to meeting visual and integrity requirements. To assess the surface quality of the prints, engineers performed a high-resolution 3D scanning analysis on a select number of parts, using a GOM Atos Core 3D scanner. This showed relative deviations between the ideal CAD model and the printed part. A pass/no pass filter for dimensional accuracy with a threshold of 0.3mm, enabled Hänssler to create an optimised ABS-ESD printing profile to print parts on the Ultimaker S5 with minimal tolerance limits.

Fig. 1: 3D model of Hänssler Isolator part (left), statical analysis of the six most representative dimensions of the model for 10 samples selected. Each Target dimension is highlighted in red dotted line (right)

Adrian Heinrich, marketing manager at Hänssler says: "Besides the opportunity to create accurate and more complex parts with 3D printing, we also reported a reduction in material waste in the range of -80% and -60% in cost per part versus our traditional milling techniques. The accessibility and reliability of 3D printing and great support of Ultimakers' ecosystem partner Kimya, made this project just the beginning."

Miguel Calvo, CTO at Ultimaker comments: "Ensuring high dimensional accuracy with 3D printing is key for companies that need to guarantee their customers every batch is identical and ESD safe. It should not matter when, where or who print the parts. I'm proud of the close collaboration between Kimya and Ultimaker to make this happen for the Hänssler Group."

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