Case Study: East/West Industries achieves 87% faster die production and 80% cost savings with Stratasys Fortus 450mc 3D printing

3D printed metal forming dies allowed East/ West significantly drive down the cost of making metal forming dies

East/West Industries, an aerospace designer and manufacturer of aircraft seats and safety products, faced a production halt when a machined sheet‑metal forming die was found damaged just before a job. With the in‑house machine shop committed to other parts and outsourcing the die risking an eight‑week delay, East/West turned to the Stratasys equipment it already owned—a Fortus 450mc 3D printer using FDM Nylon 12CF—to explore a faster alternative.

Using the Stratasys Fortus 450mc and FDM Nylon 12CF, East/West printed full‑size die halves that provided the required rigidity and handled the die’s complex geometry. The 3D‑printed die was deployed in under a week versus an eight‑week outsourced lead time (an 87% reduction), cutting tool cost from $5,000 to $1,000 for a $4,000 (80%) savings, and enabled the job to be completed on schedule.

East/West Industries