Clements Engineering, who are renowned for their quality propellers and stern gear made at their Bedfordshire plant have recently invested in a 3D printer to support their pattern making. With the addition of a 3D printer Clements can seamlessly integrate additive manufacture to the company.
This complements what the team at Clements can already achieve which is moulding/ casting, machining, and design. The new printer gives the team a Clements full control over what they produce and allows the quality to be monitored throughout the manufacturing process.
Pattern making using 3D printing is still relatively new technology and Clements have been testing and refining the process on the machine over the last 6 months. The largest propeller printed so far has been a pair of Kaplan 1335mm in diameter. The team have also had a lot of success with printing P Brackets and the accuracy has been impressive.
By printing the patterns using the new technology it gives more freedom and flexibility compared with other methods whilst also allowing the patterns to be used many times. This makes the process more cost efficient. In addition, patterns can be made almost instantaneously and different parts for customers can be made more easily.
Managing Director, Paul Williams said “this is an important step for us at Clements. We have been busy here and this machine will help up provide more accuracy and a quicker turnaround”
Find out more about Clements Engineering Ltd on their member profile page here
Member-created content 3 years ago | From members