Società Progettazione Ingegnerizzazione SRL (Spring SRL) recently purchased its seventh Stratasys Ltd. Fused Deposition Molding (FDM) 3D Printer. The company has been using Stratasys FDM technology for several years to support demand for directly manufactured parts including jigs and fixtures, and end-use parts.

“FDM technology has always been a core part of our service offering to customers as it allows us to produce tough parts that can endure the stress of functional testing,” explains Fabio Gualdo, co-founder and CEO of Spring SRL. “We purchased the Fortus 900mc to directly manufacture parts that would be impossible to produce with traditional technology and material, such as carbon fibre.”

At Spring SRL, the company’s activities comprise 70% Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM) and 30% prototype parts for functional testing in a number of industries including, racing (20%), aerospace (18%) and medical (11%). The company’s prototyping and production 3D printers are working round the clock, totaling 42,000 hours per year.

For the aerospace and racing industries, FDM 3D printing technology produces a number of parts including 3D printed, end-use armrests featured in a number of airplanes and vehicles. Directly 3D printing the final part enables Spring SRL to reduce its turnaround time by 66% and costs 50% compared to traditional methods such as CNC.

The ULTEM 9085 material from Stratasys, with its high strength-to-weight ratio, enabled the company to reduce the weight of traditional armrests by 60%, a crucial factor in the aerospace industry.

Stratasys Ltd.www.stratasys.com