Accelerating Prototyping by 50 Percent at Grohe, Inc.
"We were the first company in Switzerland to have a machine like this. We wanted to build our models quickly and easily, and we chose a Dimension 3D printer because it met all our expectations and lay within the price range we had set for ourselves." — Christian Jarisch, Engineer with Nestlé Nespresso
Grohe Water Technology AG & Co. is a world leader in supplying sanitary and water fittings for private and public sectors. The company utilizes new technology to
Mercury Customs and Dimension –
Motorcycle Parts on the Fast Track
Motorcycle Parts on the Fast Track
"We were very impressed with the capabilities of the Dimension 3D printer," Takai said. "We no longer rely on third-party vendors in the design process and our customers are reaping the benefits."
The Dimension 3D printer enables Mercury Customs to create custom accessories and parts for their customers faster, cheaper and more efficiently. By eliminating time-intensive modeling methods, such as injection molding and third-party outsourcing, Mercury Customs has cut the time it takes to fulfill custom part orders by months.
The Dimension 3D printer enables Mercury Customs to create custom accessories and parts for their customers faster, cheaper and more efficiently. By eliminating time-intensive modeling methods, such as injection molding and third-party outsourcing, Mercury Customs has cut the time it takes to fulfill custom part orders by months.
Success Stories
The Dimension Solution
Mercury Customs is a leading manufacturer of high-end custom motorcycles and components. With a heavy emphasis on groundbreaking design, Mercury Customs takes pride in helping passionate customers put their creative visions on the road.
Like many companies in the custom motorcycle industry, Mercury Customs was looking for a way to expedite its custom part design process so that customer orders could be filled faster. Before a custom part reaches the clients hands it is sketched, modeled, reviewed and in many cases revised. This process can take months – longer than most customers would like to wait.
"With many projects, we weren't delivering parts to our customers fast enough. Delays were due in large part to third-party outsourcing and other circumstances out of our control," said Joe Takai, principal for Mercury Customs. "We needed to find a way to streamline our process and give our customers a more concrete schedule for project completion."
Like many companies in the custom motorcycle industry, Mercury Customs was looking for a way to expedite its custom part design process so that customer orders could be filled faster. Before a custom part reaches the clients hands it is sketched, modeled, reviewed and in many cases revised. This process can take months – longer than most customers would like to wait.
"With many projects, we weren't delivering parts to our customers fast enough. Delays were due in large part to third-party outsourcing and other circumstances out of our control," said Joe Takai, principal for Mercury Customs. "We needed to find a way to streamline our process and give our customers a more concrete schedule for project completion."
Before discovering the Dimension 3D Printer, it was much more time and cost consuming using Grohe's toolmakers or external suppliers to produce prototypes. During the first four months of use, the Dimension 3D Printer ran for more than 380 hours. In contrast, a milling cutter, installed at the same time, was used only a couple of hours.
"Having the Dimension 3D printer in our shop saves us anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000 each month. It typically only takes three and a half weeks from design to delivery for many parts – this used to take months using traditional methods."
– Joe Takai, principal for Mercury Customs
– Joe Takai, principal for Mercury Customs
"We reduced the time to develop a flushing system by 50 percent. Product samples could be produced at an early stage of the development process" explains Friedrich Imhoff, a Grohe product development manager. And Dimension has reduced time related to making production budget decisions. Imhoff adds, "The product can be presented within a short amount of time and our product managers are able to identify themselves with the product at a very early stage."
Dimension 3D printing can help you quickly fine tune designs and cut weeks—even months—from your development schedule. Now, with the ability to evaluate more design iterations, you can test form, fit and function right from your desktop.
An essential tool for everyone on the design team
In order to streamline its design process, Mercury Customs decided to try a new tool in their shop – a Dimension 3D printer. Designed to create precise three-dimensional models, Dimension 3D printers allow companies and individuals to develop complex designs right from their workstation or network.
maintain its leadership position in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
With a goal of accelerating product innovation by 20 percent in their new design center, the Grohe group in Hemer, Germany examined new technologies that would make their design, development and production process more stream-lined and cost-efficient.
With a goal of accelerating product innovation by 20 percent in their new design center, the Grohe group in Hemer, Germany examined new technologies that would make their design, development and production process more stream-lined and cost-efficient.
The Dimension Solution
The Dimension 3D printer enabled Mercury Customs to more make precise models on the first run, allowing them to more accurately estimate project completion dates to customers. They now even provide customers the ability to monitor the progress of parts orders online.
"Prior to purchasing the Dimension 3D printer, we were restricted by customer schedules and at times would forgo an additional round of revisions because we knew it would add weeks to final delivery," Takai said. "With the 3D printer in our shop, we have greater control over the final product, as well as the overall cost and timing associated with it. Now our process is so efficient that we can ship some product orders in one week."
"Prior to purchasing the Dimension 3D printer, we were restricted by customer schedules and at times would forgo an additional round of revisions because we knew it would add weeks to final delivery," Takai said. "With the 3D printer in our shop, we have greater control over the final product, as well as the overall cost and timing associated with it. Now our process is so efficient that we can ship some product orders in one week."
In addition to saving time and money, Mercury Customs is developing products that would not be possible without the Dimension 3D printer. For example, the company created a unique proprietary LED light bar – the Prolite – within the arc of a fender. This part would have been impossible to create solely with injection molding. Mercury Customs not only used the Dimension 3D printer to design this complex part, it is used to manufacture it as well. The company plans to further test the Dimension 3D printer in this way, as it strives to deliver the most innovative custom designs on the market.
Dimension 3D printing can help you quickly fine tune designs and cut weeks—even months—from your development schedule. Now, with the ability to evaluate more design iterations, you can test form, fit and function right from your desktop.
An essential tool for everyone on the design team
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