Case Study: Swift Engineering shaves production time with Stratasys 3D printing for sacrificial tooling

Swift Engineering cuts composite tooling lead times by up to 90% with Stratasys

Swift Engineering, an aerospace and automotive composite parts manufacturer, faced the challenge of a time-consuming and expensive multi-step process for producing sacrificial tools required for complex composite parts. To address this, they partnered with vendor Stratasys and adopted additive manufacturing using Fortus 3D Printers and ST-130 composite material.

The Stratasys solution allowed Swift to 3D print one-piece sacrificial tools, eliminating the need for multi-piece bonded assemblies. This reduced tool production lead times by up to 90%, from a traditional four to six weeks down to days or even less than 24 hours. The result was significant time and cost savings, greater design freedom, improved part functionality, and the ability to meet shorter client deadlines.

Swift Engineering