Agile tooling

Agile Tooling is a term used to describe the process of using modular means to design tooling that is produced by additive manufacturing or 3D printing methods to enable quick prototyping and responses to tooling and fixture needs. Agile tooling uses a cost effective and high quality method to quickly respond to customer and market needs. It can be used in hydro-forming, stamping, injection molding and other manufacturing processes.
What is Agile Tooling?
* 3D printing in additive manufacturing is often known for prototyping and end-use part applications, but these are rarely representative of production parts. Manufacturers are now looking into printing tools for their machines. Tooling, also known as machine tooling, is the process of acquiring the manufacturing components and machines needed for production. The categories of machine tooling include fixtures, jigs, gauges, molds, dies, cutting equipment and patterns.
3D printing tools has become a very efficient process for reducing the production of manufacturing parts and increasing manufacturers' output capacity and ROIs.
The Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME) at The Ohio State University has taken the lead on the process of Agile Tooling. CDME has the resources to print tools for injection molding, dies, stamping, hydro-forming, and die casting. Manufacturers can now not only print parts, but can print their own tools. CDME also brings together a diverse team of additive manufacturer experts from Ohio State, industry partners, and supporting engineers to provide the solution to producing your prototypes.
What resources are needed?
* 3D Printing Capabilities
* Die Casting Cell
* Stamping Machine
* Injection Molder
 
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