Reduce production equipment costs by 90% through 3D printing – Brushworks Piave
From prototyping to production: how the adoption of 3D printing has enabled Spazzolificio Piave to not only speed up the prototyping phase, but to cut equipment costs, reduce downtime, and increase flexibility and production autonomy.
Spazzolificio Piave is a historic Italian company with more than 50 years of experience in manufacturing toothbrushes and oral hygiene accessories. Its product range includes proprietary brands such as Silver Care, Piave and DentoNet, as well as contract manufacturing. With a production facility located entirely in Italy, Spazzolificio Piave stands out for its ability to innovate and customize products according to the specific needs of its customers.
The company has always invested in cutting-edge technologies to improve production efficiency, among them, industrial 3D printing has proven to be a key ally in reducing costs and optimizing internal processes.
The need
Piave needed to accelerate the production of its prototypes to:
reduce time-to-market by developing and testing new products quickly to respond quickly to market demands.
verify the functionality and ergonomics of the products, identifying any critical issues before large-scale production.
manage customizations requested by customers, quickly adapting designs without delays due to external suppliers.
Piave therefore decided to explore 3D printing as an alternative to traditional systems.
The Additive Manufacturing Solution
To address this need for rapid prototyping, Spazzolificio Piave turned to 3DZ, a partner specialized in 3D printing solutions for industry.
After a thorough analysis of the company’s needs, 3DZ recommended the adoption of filament 3D printing technology, identifying the Markforged Mark Two as the most suitable solution.
The Mark Two is an industrial 3D printer that uses Onyx, a nylon-based composite material loaded with carbon fiber.
This choice allowed Piave to combine quality, speed and robustness in a single platform. Indeed, the goal of making realistic prototypes in-house to test new ideas and develop innovative products without depending on external suppliers has been achieved. Thanks to 3D printing, several prototypes can now be made in a single day, cutting down the product development cycle time.
From prototyping to production: the evolution of 3D printing at Piave
While initially the use of the printer was mostly limited to the creation of prototypes, the team at Spazzolificio Piave gradually touched upon and appreciated the strength of the materials, the possibility of directly creating drilled parts in 3D, tested the creation of precise joints for inserts, such as the silver heads of the Silver Care line. Spazzolificio Piave then hypothesized using the printer also to make production equipmentthat can be reinforced with continuous fibers such as fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon fiber, or to breathe new life into obsolete machinery by 3D printing replacement parts.
Today the company uses the 3D printer on a daily basis, not only as a tool for prototyping, but as an actual production technology. For Spazzolificio Piave, the 3D printer has proven to be a strategic resource for:
1
Produce custom equipment and components
for production lines, reducing machine downtime.
3D printing allows greater flexibility in creating 100 percent customized equipment for every production need.
2
Replace parts traditionally made of metal with equivalents made of advanced materials
dramatically lowering costs and lightening the masses involved.
3D printed parts have strength comparable to aluminum components, thanks to the possibility of integrating continuous fiber reinforcements.
3
Test new solutions more nimbly and quickly
Improving the innovation cycle.
3D printing enables dramatic reductions in production costs, with savings of more than 90 percent compared to traditional equipment.
Cost optimization-Some concrete examples:
The use of 3D printing has made it possible to drastically reduce the production costs of equipment and components, resulting in significant savings:
– 99% savings – Thermoforming molds: from €2,300 to less than €10 per unit.
– 99% savings – Custom grippers: from €400 to €2.7 per unit.
– 66% savings – Labeling machine components: from €15,000 required from the supplier to €5,000, thanks to in-house production.
“Costs have decreased enormously: components that used to cost us €750, we now produce for €3.50.
With 3D printing we have lowered our production costs and increased our range.
In just 4 years we have made as many as 120 fixtures to set up our production machines.”
Adriano Tonin
Responsabile del reparto di produzione
More flexible and customized production with maximum uptime
With 3D printing, Piave is able to:
– Create customized equipment for customers, responding to specific requests quickly.
– Test and modify components without excessive costs, continuously improving production processes.
– Quickly adapt production lines, optimizing the handling of different toothbrush models.
If previously Piave had to wait weeks to receive spare parts, today it can print components in a matter of hours, avoiding long downtimes and keeping production running at all times.
Improvement of product quality
The use of advanced materials such as Onyx has improved the strength and accuracy of tooling, reducing part wear and increasing the quality of the finished product.
Onyx is a carbon microfiber filled nylon for accurate parts with a near flawless surface finish. Few materials have its versatility. It offers high strength, toughness and chemical resistance when molded alone; it can be reinforced with continuous fibers to produce parts with the strength of aluminum.
3D printing: a continuous discovery
While the implementation of a 3D printer was initially meant to speed up the creation of a few prototypes, this choice actually led to the growth of a new internal culture of 3D printing.
The possibility of making end-use parts in a short time and in total autonomy led the team at Spazzolificio Piave to enthusiastically embark on this journey into the world of 3D.
Two years ago, Spazzolificio Piave expanded its fleet by purchasing a printer from Markforged’s industrial line, which is also used to print rubber parts.
How to get the most out of your printer with 3DZ
“We have had the 3D printer for more than 5 years and use it every day. It has become an integral part of our production, allowing us to be more autonomous and reduce lead times for parts.
With the support of 3DZ, we have learned how to make the most of it, transforming not only the way we prototype, but also our approach to industrial production.”
Davide Gottardello
Product Design and Industrialization
Spazzolificio Piave's experience shows that industrial 3D printing is not just an aid to prototyping, but a real manufacturing technology. Thanks to 3D printing and the support of 3DZ, Spazzolificio Piave has transformed its approach to production, gaining a real competitive advantage.
If your company also wants to reduce costs and optimize production with 3D printing, contact a 3DZ expert!
How to get the most out of your printer with 3DZ
