The AM Cup International Additive Manufacturing Competition is sponsored by Solvay, a manufacturer specializing in specialty polymers, along with L'Oréa and Ultimaker . AM Cup winners showcase high-performance 3D printing applications that create complex polymer shapes for industrial manufacturing, with performance and quality exceeding that of traditional injection-molded parts.
The 2021 AMCup entry tackled the challenge of actual manufacturing, using Ultimaker and Solvay wire to solve problems at L'Oréal's Paris production plant.
"If we can use 3D printing to solve the problem, it will increase production capacity and supply chain flexibility," said Matthew Forrester, head of materials conversion and recycling at L'Oréal's Packaging Science Center in Paris.
(Currently, L'Oréal Paris uses the pink mechanical positioning disc shown above, which changes every time the bottle shape changes.)A team of 54 engineers from 25 universities each had to design and manufacture parts for L'Oréal perfumes that could automatically adjust to accommodate different perfume bottle shapes. Technically known as a positioning plate, these components had to ensure that the bottles could move efficiently, quickly, and quietly during the filling process.
Previously, L'Oréal Paris manufactured unique parts to maintain the shape of each bottle. However, whenever the production line changed the bottle's shape, these parts were removed and replaced with parts from other bottles specifically designed for that particular type of bottle. Could 3D printers be used to create universal parts?
"The most challenging aspect of the positioning disks we developed is the shape of the blades, which can extend and retract on their own," said Lemarié, a PhD student and assistant engineer on the 3D.FAB platform at Segula Technologies.
The winning positioning plate was 3D printed. In fact, the robust base for the more complex telescopic blades can only be manufactured through 3D printing. Traditional machining or injection molding cannot reproduce the required level of precision.
Forrest said, "If you don't break it down into several parts to print, you can't use traditional processing or injection molding to make the positioning discs."
The AM Cup-winning design has the potential to solve the positioning plate replacement problem on L'Oréal's production line in Paris, thereby significantly reducing time and labor costs and increasing efficiency.
(The positioning disc designed for the award-winning team from the University of Lyon is black, with a red cross-section showing the blade shape's self-adaptive characteristics.)Another challenge is noise. Each production line uses hundreds of parts, which means that noise is generated when they are all on the conveyor belt. As a secondary objective, existing or innovative solutions must be combined to absorb the impact between parts and avoid generating excessive amounts of noise.
Lebots said, "From the beginning, we considered noise a secondary issue and focused development on the retractable blades to accommodate all bottles. Based on the optimized design, a simple yet effective noise reduction system was added."
( Ultimaker 3D printer inside L'Oréal's design lab in Paris)Forrest said, “We have our own 3D printing center, capable of producing tens of thousands of parts annually, accelerating time-to-market for new packaging development. While prototyping remains the company’s largest use for 3D printing , we’ve recently been producing limited-edition consumer packaging, and more and more factories are adopting 3D printing as a solution. The 2021 award-winning design will be tested in-plant, trying to replace existing solutions that blend traditional processing and 3D printing , evaluating their performance, and anticipating ergonomic improvements for operators and, ideally, optimizing changeover time. In today’s market, being able to respond quickly to evolving market demands is crucial.”
(Miguel Calvo, Technical Director at Ultimaker , prints an award-winning design using Solvay's Solef PVDF filament at the Ultimaker 3D printing production center.)As a sponsor of the AM Cup, Ultimaker showcases the industrial manufacturing capabilities of its 3D printers. Ultimaker 3D printers are more commonly found in factory production than in amateur settings and can be adapted to virtually any professional application.
Due to the pandemic, Ultimaker organized the finalists' designs, which were then selected by experts from the Ultimaker 3D Printing Center. The winner of the competition will receive an Ultimaker 2+ Connect . Chemical giant Solvay provides specialized industrial materials. Brian Alexander, Solvay's New Business Development Manager, said, "Solef PVDF filaments are ideal for industrial applications, easy to print, and possess high chemical resistance and abrasion resistance."
Solvay's 3D printing filament portfolio also includes KetaSpire polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and Radel polystyrene (PPSU) filaments , including medical and carbon fiber filled grades.
Follow our fan page to stay updated on the latest news: https://www.facebook.com/3dmart.com.tw/
https://www.instagram.com/3dmart/
References