Page 18 - 3D Metal Printing Spring 2018

3D GRIMM’S TALES BY TODD GRIMM
Conversation with BasTech, Inc. —Part 2
Part 1 of this conversation, in the Winter 2018 issue of 3D Metal Printing, included an overview of BasTech, Inc., Dayton, OH, and the reflections of Ben Staub, company president, on additive manufacturing’s
(AM’s) benefits in tool-building and how AM fits
into the manufacturing-process landscape. Here in
Part 2, Staub provides real-life examples where metal AM makes sense for toolmaking, and author Todd Grimm provides insightful commentary.
In many cases, metal AM can produce parts and tools
faster and cheaper than alternative methods. However,
part-cost and time benefits often aren’t the primary advan- tages that dictate when and why metal AM provides a great option.
“3D printing offers the ability to solve a lot of everyday prob- lems,” says Ben Staub, president of BasTech, Inc., Dayton, OH, a provider of engineering design, prototyping, 3D printing, tool pro- duction, reverse engineering and low-volume part production.
In his own tool shop, for example, Staub eliminates a huge amount of shop time and circumvents the shortage of qualified labor. A core needing EDM work to address some complicated geometry results in a five-step process: design the electrodes, program machining of the electrodes, cut the electrodes, set up the EDM and then burn the core. However, using metal AM, the BasTech team programs the machine and lets the core build over a weekend. This accelerates the process and frees up Staub’s shop to tackle other work.
“It's just a huge aid to have in our tool shop, especially when we get really busy,” he says.
Another time-saving example involves a large mold that required 12 inserts, each with a different design. Without metal AM, “we would have had to set up and EDM each of these insert areas one at a time,” explains Staub. Using metal AM, BasTech built all of the inserts, in one run, over a weekend. “It was a huge time saver,” he says. “And it is a lot easier to manage and schedule one automated operation than a five-step
Todd Grimm (todd.grimm@tagrimm.com) is the founder and president of T. A. Grimm & Associates, Inc., a consulting and communications company dedicated to additive manufacturing. A 26-year veteran of the AM industry, he is a consultant, author, writer, speaker and researcher. He also has served as an advisor for various associations and publications.
This column presents a balanced, unbiased view (no Grimm’s fairy tales) of metal additive manufacturing. Its messages are those that users feel are important to share and that are discovered through informal conversations with Todd Grimm. There are no agendas, and there are no pre-prepared interview questions.
TODD GRIMM
BasTech, Inc., Dayton, OH, often produces cores for
plastic-mold applica- tions, and in many
cases, metal AM gets the call for such
work. With extensive experience in metal AM, the process has
become a ‘core’ com- petency for BasTech.
process repeated 12 times.”
Staub also finds that metal AM reduces the possibilities for
human error to derail a project.
“There is no perfection in a tool shop,” he says. “Human
error can occur in every step of the process.”
While metal AM isn’t immune to human error, it reduces the
number of touch points, which reduces the frequency of unpleasant surprises.
Sticking with toolmaking, Staub’s final example of open- minded thinking focuses on the concept of conformal cooling, where cooling channels snake through an insert rather than running along straight lines. Conformal cooling often is touted as, and perceived to be, a cycle-time reducer in the injection- molding press. This is a unique benefit, but not the sole advan- tage in Staub’s shop.
“We have applications where we use conformal cooling to produce better parts,” Staub says. “For example, we mold 300 to 500 of a certain paintball-gun component per week. Conformal
“I have a totally optimistic view of 3D
metal printing. Yes, there are
challenges, and I think those
challenges should be considered. But
it’s important to adopt an open-
minded approach and ask how the
challenges can be overcome,” says
Ben Staub, founder and president of BasTech, Inc.
16 | 3D METAL PRINTING • SPRING 2018
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