[3D Printing News] Jabil reduces production time by 80% using Ultimaker

[3D Printing News] Jabil reduces production time by 80% using Ultimaker

Jabil, one of the world’s largest manufacturing services providers, uses the cost-effective Ultimaker 3D printer to overcome production challenges.
By incorporating Ultimaker into their workflow, the Auburn Hills factory team was able to reduce production time by 80% and tooling costs by 30%.

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Jabil's Auburn Hills engineers anticipated that if a machining plant took three weeks to produce a set of tools for a complex part, the total production time would be two months – significantly reducing their ability to manufacture custom products on time. To better serve their healthcare and industrial customers, they needed to find a way to accelerate production while reducing costs.
In addition, Auburn Hills engineers often need to produce disposable products and tools that would be an unnecessary expense if outsourced, and they also face the challenge of sharing customer design information with external suppliers.
Jabil's additive manufacturing team is committed to implementing the latest technologies and realized that 3D printing is the solution to these challenges, enabling them to achieve higher volumes and longer product lifespans.



Low-cost, high-quality solutions

When they integrated Ultimaker into their process, Jabil's Auburn Hills team saw the benefits of 3D printing directly from within. After a simple setup process, they could print spare parts on the same day and immediately check the quality.
"Ultimaker's 3D printers enable Jabil to produce molds, fixtures, and manufacturing aids in-house," said Tim DeRosett, Director of Additive Manufacturing Product Management at Jabil.
"We are drawn to Ultimaker's printers for their low cost, ease of use, and high-quality output. They enable us to accelerate the time to market for new products and deliver better results for our customers."
The decision to use Ultimaker as an affordable and professional alternative to traditional manufacturing methods reduced production time from weeks to just four days.
Now, they are able to quickly create the parts and tools they need, spending only a small portion of the cost on outsourced processing plants.


Enhancing the diversity of production and design

With its design freedom and flexibility, the factory's engineers can quickly modify and optimize machines to meet greater production demands.
Their uninterrupted 3D printing integration allows their designers to obtain CAD models of customer products and create tools to prepare in advance and shorten the production process.
Their first successful 3D printing and CAD design project was for a medical technology client seeking to improve the efficiency of mobile imaging systems. Leveraging the capabilities of Ultimaker 's rapid modeling and printing tools, Jabil engineers found it much easier to ensure quality and part performance during the product testing phase.
Within hours, the engineers created a proven portfolio of work and demonstrated to the client a process that previously would have taken the team months to complete.


As they continue to integrate 3D printing into their workflows, Jabil looks forward to seeing how additive manufacturing will evolve in the future. John Kawola, General Manager of Ultimaker North America, is also excited to see how Jabil continues to grow in the 3D printing field.

"As one of the world's leading manufacturers, desktop 3D printing is delighted to have Jabil as an important partner after entering the prototyping application. We are pleased that they have benefited our products and have learned a lot from their use and application."
Download Jabil's case study to learn how 3D printing is transforming their Auburn Hills factory.

Original source: https://ultimaker.com/en/blog/52523-jabil-auburn-hills-sees-80-reduction-in-production-time-with-ultimaker