{"id":5256,"date":"2021-01-21T08:24:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-21T08:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultimakerstage.wpengine.com\/learn\/"},"modified":"2023-08-04T20:47:23","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T20:47:23","slug":"metro-plastics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultimaker.com\/nl\/learn\/metro-plastics\/","title":{"rendered":"Metro Plastics"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/div>\n

Metro Plastics<\/h1>\n

Injection mold company looks to 3D printing to solve operational bottlenecks<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

With the always-on productivity of the Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle, Metro Plastics found a solution to their long lead times, while also saving up to 90% on parts.<\/p><\/div>\n

Scott Adams has been at Metro Plastics for 14 years where he now oversees engineering. After graduating from Purdue University and working for Delphi Electronics for a few years, he reached out to the Manufacturers Association of Plastics Processors (MAPP) to look for a new position. The president of Metro Plastics, a company focused on custom injection molding, sat on the board of MAPP \u2013 after connecting, Adams took a position at Metro Plastics and has been there ever since, starting off as a sales engineer, then project manager, and now has taken over as the manager of engineering.<\/p>\n

When asked why he stays, Adams communicated how he loves the fact that every day is completely different. \u201cGetting new parts from customers daily is dynamic and exciting,\u201d he said. As an engineer, he gets to problem-solve all the time!<\/p><\/section>\n

\"3D<\/div>\n
3D printed end-of-arm tooling solved Metro Plastics\u2019 initial problem<\/div><\/div>\n
\"A<\/div>\n
Metro Plastics found many more 3D printing applications, like this quality control fixture<\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

Solving the lead time problem<\/h3>\n

Metro Plastics was struggling to get end-of-arm tooling parts machined in a timely manner from their internal tool shop. If the tool shop wasn\u2019t busy, it might only take a week or so \u2013 but if they were overloaded, it may take a few months.<\/p>\n

Adams knew a better solution was out there and had been hearing about additive manufacturing for a long time. When he started wondering if this might be right for Metro Plastics, he reached out to his friend, Matt Torosian<\/a>, who is a director for Jabil\u2019s Additive Manufacturing Materials division. Matt immediately suggested Ultimaker. With the goal of a quicker turnaround time, and an added bonus of the endless amounts of material choices through Ultimaker\u2019s open material platform<\/a>, it was a no-brainer.<\/p>\n

After deciding on Ultimaker, the next question was what printer? For a larger build plate, to maximize air quality in the office area, and to easily swap materials, the decision was clear: Metro Plastics went with the Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[The Ultimaker printer] runs every single day! We\u2019re constantly thinking about 3D printing instead of outsourcing…<\/p><\/blockquote><\/section>\n

\"A<\/div>\n
Custom 3D printed tool storage, demonstrating the lean manufacturing \u2018poka yoke\u2019 principle<\/div><\/div>\n

Implementation<\/h3>\n

Once the Ultimaker 3D printer arrived, with the team\u2019s 3D CAD skills, learning Ultimaker Cura<\/a> software and the Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle 3D printer was simple.<\/p>\n

Adams was able to set up the printer and start printing parts the same day.<\/p>\n

When Metro Plastics purchased their 3D printer, they had no idea the amount of applications that would be possible. Adams initially thought the Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle would only be used for end-of-arm tooling, but quickly realized there were many different uses for their Ultimaker printer:<\/p>\n