Case Study: Graco achieves 80% cost reduction and 90% faster tooling with Stratasys FDM 3D printing

Graco cuts metal forming die costs by 80% with Stratasys

Graco Inc., a manufacturer of fluid-handling systems, faced extensive lead times of approximately four weeks when fabricating prototype sheet metal brackets using traditional forming dies. This delay jeopardized their production timeline. To overcome this challenge, Graco partnered with Stratasys and implemented FDM 3D printing technology.

The solution involved engineering 3D printed forming dies on a Stratasys F370CR composite printer using FDM Nylon-CF10 material. This allowed Graco to manufacture all required prototype brackets on time. Partnering with Stratasys resulted in an 80% cost reduction, saving $1600 on tooling, and a 90% reduction in lead time, from one month to just three days. The 3D printed tools also withstood 40 forming cycles with no degradation.

Graco Inc