As part of its Additive Alliance Against Corona initiative, SLM Solutions has metal 3D printed plastic injection tooling molds that help produce face shield headbands for the Manufacturing & Advocacy Growth Network (MAGNET), a manufacturing consulting firm in Ohio. SLM Solutions 3D printed the molds in its Wixom, Michigan facility enabling MAGNET to save time and money in additively manufacturing the tooling needed to produce the face shields quickly.
For more than 30 years, MAGNET has been driving Northeast Ohio's manufacturing growth by supporting small and mid-sized manufacturers. They provide hands-on support with business consulting, new product design, operations excellence, and workforce innovation, bringing industry, education, and community leaders together to create tomorrow's manufacturers. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, the Governor of Ohio realized that face shields for frontline healthcare professionals would be required. He formed the Ohio Manufacturing Alliance to Fight COVID-19, of which MAGNET was a part.
MAGNET was seeking to acquire injection mold tools to assist in the manufacturing of the face shields, specifically the headbands. Dave Pierson, Senior Design Engineer at MAGNET wanted to additively produce them to bypass conventional supply-chain complications. Pierson approached SLM Solutions due to their strong reputation for having reliable multi-laser technology. "I chose SLM Solutions because of their quad laser system" said Pierson. "We needed the parts as soon as possible. The speed and throughput that their quad laser machine has available was a critical aspect of the decision to work together."
At the time, SLM Solutions had just launched the Additive Alliance Against Corona initiative to combat COVID-19 and was happy to help. Jill Christner, President of SLM Solutions Americas, decided to halt normal day to day activities at their Wixom, Michigan facility and give MAGNET's project top priority. "Responding quickly to MAGNET's project was important for SLM Solutions" said Christner "it is an honor to be a small part of the solution to protect the health and safety of those who serve as well as utilizing the value of our additive technology to quickly produce new products and designs reducing the lead time of traditionally casted methods."
SLM Solutions was able to print the mold using 316 stainless steel; the build was completed in two halves, each taking four days to print and one day for heat treatment. "SLM exceeded my expectations on their quality and delivery. Once received, the SLM print had to have some finish machining and polishing but then was quickly mounted to the machine base and we were up and running" said Pierson. "The SLM additively manufactured mold is now producing face shields that are being used by medical professionals across the state of Ohio."