Stratasys, one of the global leaders in applied additive technology solutions announced that it has signed a three-year collaboration agreement with Eckhart, Inc. – one of the leading companies that builds tools for manufacturers in the North American region – to advance the adoption of 3D printing for factory tooling in North America.
The collaboration will introduce additive manufacturing technology to help redesign factory tools. Under the agreement, both the companies will work together to reinvent how industrial tools are manufactured. It is expected that additive manufacturing will help drive innovation for next generation factory tooling and will contribute to the tooling industry in three main ways:
- Help manufacture ergonomically designed parts that are also lighter and sturdier than parts manufactured using traditional manufacturing designs produced using metals
- Eliminate unwanted parts that add no value to a tool
- Simplify build structure and reduce material costs by reducing the part count of an assembly by redesigning assembly of multiple parts into one single 3D printed parts
Speaking about the collaboration with Stratasys and explaining how the introduction of additive manufacturing can reinvent the tooling industry, Andy Storm, President and CEO of Eckchart said in an official statement released by Stratasys, “At Eckhart, we believe that with additive manufacturing, there is a real opportunity to reinvent how industrial tools are designed, manufactured, and ultimately used by customers.”
“Our intent is to completely replace existing metal tools with 3D printed equivalents,” The potential for innovation in weight-savings, simplified bills-of-material, and enhanced operator visibility that additive manufacturing affords is unprecedented,” Storm added.
Adding more on how Stratasys can help Eckhart to redesign factory tools, Patrick Carey, Senior Vice President of Sales, North America at Stratasys, stated, “We’re looking forward to working closely with Eckhart to help redesign a new generation of factory tools.”
“Both companies not only have a great deal to offer one another, but a lot to learn from each other as well. Like Eckhart, Stratasys believes this three-year exclusive agreement has the potential to bring disruptive innovation to the industrial tooling market in North America,” Carey added.
Apart from working towards accelerating the adoption of 3D printing in the tooling industry, the two companies will also work together to leverage their respective expertise in adjacent markets.
One of these joint efforts include the introduction of micro sensors in 3D printed tools that will allow integration of diagnostics and help create smart factories of the future
