Case Study: Schneider Electric achieves major cost and time savings for Industry 4.0 tooling with Stratasys FDM F170

Schneider Electric paves the way to Industry 4.0 with FDM technology

Schneider Electric’s Puente la Reina plant, part of the company’s Smart Factory Industry 4.0 program, faced rising pressure to boost production efficiency, cut costs and reduce reliance on outsourced tooling for assembly-line fixtures, jigs and robot grippers. To meet these goals the team evaluated additive manufacturing and selected Stratasys FDM Technology, purchasing a Stratasys F170 through local partner Pixel Sistemas to bring industrial-grade 3D printing onto the factory floor.

Using the Stratasys F170 and engineering materials (PLA, ABS, ASA), Schneider Electric shifted dozens of tooling items in‑house—printing more than 100 new designs a year—and achieved measurable gains: roughly €20,000 saved in assembly-line tooling in one year, gripper costs halved from about €200 outsourced to ~€100 printed, and tool lead times cut from a week to a day. Stratasys’ FDM solution also reduced supplier dependence, improved flexibility and helped the plant win internal recognition for accelerating its Industry 4.0 transformation.

Schneider Electric

Manuel Otamendi

Industrialization and Maintenance Manager – Global Supply Chain