Applications of 3D Printing in Automated Packaging

In a previous article, we talked about the benefits of 3D printing in automated packing from a high-level overview outlining how the flexibility of additive manufacturing can save costs, simplify material components and improve the end-to-end process.

More recently we’ve also hosted a webinar on how to leverage 3D printing for automated packaging with real life applications (we highly recommend you check it out) and based on the interest generated and questions received during the presentation we wanted to provide you with a more comprehensive in-depth view over actual examples where 3D printing has made significant and sustained impact for several of our clients.

So let’s dive into it!

Automated Packaging Systems

Leaning into the flexibility aspect previously covered, we want to be clear that 3D printing can be integrated in all types of automated packaging systems such as filling, sealing, labeling and wrapping machines, palletizing systems and many others. Clients such as Heineken, Krones, Ben&Jerry’s, P&G, Schubert, CocaCola, PepsiCo, Lego and Trivium to name a few, have all successfully integrated UltiMaker’s 3D printing solutions in their automated packaging processes and have all been part of our customer success stories.

Below we’ll cover different wear parts, starwheels/sprockets, format specific tools such as infeed screws, LOTO/safety tools and ergonomic enhancements that have been made possible by 3D printing.

Starwheel, infeed starwheel and sprockets:

Let’s start with one of the backbones of any production line, the starwheel used to drive conveyor/packaging lines, which was also featured on our Krones success story. The key requirements for a starwheel is for the part to have a high dimensional stability and high wear and tear resistance.

When compared to traditional starwheels made out of POM, the 3D printed variant is cheaper (example part shown above was printed out of PET CF for around 44 €) and able to be optimized for each individual use case, which went coupled with the fact that these parts need to be replaced periodically, the fact that you can set the part to print at the end of your work schedule and have it ready the next day is a benefit that we simply don’t see with traditional sourcing or manufacturing methods.

We also want to point out one of the cooler features that can be leveraged with 3D printing that is unavailable for other manufacturing processes (such as milling): dual material extrusion. The ability to print 2 different materials into one part, for example in an infeed starwheel, where the bulk of the part can be made out of a stiff high resistant material, and the outer wall can be printed out of a low friction material enables our clients to save up on material costs without compromising part integrity or functionality.

Another benefit is the ability to optimize designs to use less material when printing, while part of this process is already accounted for when considering infill percentage (infill being the amount of material used to fill the internal volume of a part) the design process allows our clients to optimize the part further.

One relevant example can be seen in the sprocket design below where the inside was printed out of a rigid technical material and a wear resistant material on the outside which allowed for reduced printing times while retaining part functionality and durability.

Inverter tunnels

Product orientation changes during the packaging process, for example expiration dates on ice cream cups are typically printed on the bottom which is obviously not the natural orientation of the product during the filling process. As their name indicates, inverter tunnels are used to flip or invert products as they pass through the production line, designed to rotate items 180 degrees allowing them to be positioned correctly for the next step in packaging process (typically used for labeling, sealing or further processing).

Traditionally, most inverter tunnels are made out by milling large blocks of POM material which is both wasteful and time consuming, but with 3D printing inverter tunnels can be optimized to be printed without supports as a single funnel system as seen below (for reference the part in the image cost €15 to print out of UltiMaker PLA Blue).

In case there are any concerns regarding the layer lines, please note that they do not cause any snagging or reduction in performance when compared to a traditional inverter. We’ll touch upon materials a bit later in the article but suffice to say that there is a plethora of low friction materials available that practically enable the item inside the tunnel to slide by itself.

Inverter tunnels are also a prime example where the complex geometries of some products would make the part manufacturing through milling impossible due to the limitation in producing curved, non-uniform pathways. You can check out this cool short presentation made by our Senior Application Engineer, Jeremy Evers.

Guide Rails

One of the easiest things to optimize in a production line are product guide rails, whether it’s over longer distances or short corners; the flexibility that comes with 3D printing allows for the implementation of durable guide rails with several benefits over traditional options.

In the above example the guide rails were created for a bottle packaging line and printed in two materials, the tougher more rigid PET CF Gray for the structure and a more wear resistant low friction material on the inside as it would come in contact with the bottles. The best part in this use case is that when the wear strips need to be replaced you would only need to reprint them and slide them into place on the existing structure (for reference the part shown cost €25 to print with the cost of the wear strips alone being around €7-8).

Infeed scroll/timing screws

With previous parts we’ve touched upon the cost savings through reduced material use in manufacturing, faster lead times and design optimizations but what about instances where you are not able to source components for existing machinery? This was one of the challenges that our client Trivium faced when they were no longer able to source infeed worms to push aluminum cans forward on the production/packaging line.

With UltiMaker they were able to quickly iterate and design their own infeed worms, 3D print them and ultimately print their optimized design using carbon reinforced nylon and keep their production rolling. For more information on how Trivium used 3D Printing to help replace parts in their automated packaging lines, you can also check out this article.

The ability to quickly design replacement parts for existing machines without compromising on part functionality or durability and have production back up and running within days without the need to externally source parts and get bogged down with delivery times is a critical benefit that becomes even more important when talking about remote locations such as Africa or South America. The best thing about UltiMaker’s 3D printing solution is that clients can send the digital part files to any connected location and have the part printed locally reducing the need of skilled onsite labor.

LOTO safety tool

At a glance the ability to optimize safety during maintenance with 3D printing by always having an affordable and adaptable safety LOTO (“lockout-tagout”) procedure for any valve, switch, latch, connector for any type of machine in bright visual colors cannot be overstated.

For this application, it’s the flexibility that offers the biggest advantage as any potential risks that are identified can be resolved onsite, for example a chain cover that would normally require a lengthy delivery time, could easily be designed and printed onsite within hours optimizing worker’s safety.

Wear parts

From bottleneck grippers to can pushers, pack spinners to transition combs, 3D printing allows quick on-demand part replacement without taking up valuable warehouse space which as mentioned earlier is especially valuable when talking about remote plant locations.

The intrinsic value of additive manufacturing in creating complex custom geometries means that not only can you replace individual parts but also complete assemblies creating a single, stronger part that is less likely to break or leak. One especially useful example we’ve seen is for top-loading machine (TLM) suctions assemblies.

Materials

One of the most common concerns when it comes to 3D Printing materials is whether it can hold up to the same standard as metal milled parts and we want to be clear, you can replace metal with plastic. Working with hundreds of companies we’ve noticed that applications made of metal are often overkill for a part’s mechanical needs, and because of the mentioned benefit of 3D printing technology being able to create geometries that are not achievable through machined metal, clients are able to create lightweight parts using a wide range of available materials that are fit for purpose.

That being said, when thinking about what material to use, you have to know the requirements:

• Functional: e.g. strength, flexibility, durability, rigidity
• Environmental exposure: e.g. temperature, humidity, chemicals
• Weight and size constraints
• Industry standards, material certifications, safety or regulatory material constraints. .
• Aesthetic or surface finish: e.g. color, texture
• How long should the material last under normal usage conditions.

While a full list of available materials can be referenced on our UltiMaker Marketplace where we’re confident that you’ll find everything you need to best suit your needs, from FDA and EU Food Contact certified materials, medical grade polymers to PPS CF steel and aluminum replacement alternatives, we also wanted to present some of the recommended materials we’ve seen used by our clients in the food and beverage industry:

• Polymaker CoPA - Low friction coefficient, impact resistant
• Igus iglidur i150 - EU 10/2011 certified for food contact, self-lubricating, easy to print
• Igus iglidur i180 - High load and wear resistance
• Lehvoss 50588 - Magnetically detectable, FDA food safe certified, available in blue
• Kimya PETG-S - Easy to print, FDA food contact certified, available in blue
• UltiMaker PPS CF - Easy to print, extreme stiffness, high temperature resistance(HDT B of over 230℃ after printing)
• UltiMaker PET CF - Easy to print, dimensional stability, high toughness, available in blue
• Igus Iglidur i190 - High temperature resistance, wear resistance

Change the game

With overall costs increasing in the manufacturing and packaging industry and supply chain instability further contributing to volatile market dynamics we know that 3D printing can help you not just adapt, but change the game.

All of our clients so far have benefitted from safer working environments, decreased lead-times and costs, improved warehousing and stock management, increased factory line uptime, faster time to market and increased overall equipment efficiency.

If you want to know how UltiMaker can help you change the game for your business, please don’t hesitate to contact us and our team of experts would be more than happy to reach out and help!