Smart Molding International 1-2022

42 additive manufacturing smart_molding international 1/2022 Bringing Product Designs to Reality Smart hands-free hygiene devices, an IoT consumer face care product with APP connectivity, a Covid testing medi - cal diagnostic device and an award-win - ning UV water purification product. These are just some of the innova - tions that Rosti has managed to design, develop, and deliver in recent years for their valued customers. With an exten - sive portfolio of technologies such as mold decoration, heating and cool - ing, multi-shot molding, liquid silicone rubber injection molding (LSR LIM) and injection blow molding to boost their global impact to customers through in - novation. With a streamlined 3D printing pro - cess and 3D printing equipment that can keep up with their pace of opera - tions and expansion, Rosti has man - aged to further reduce time to market for their customers. While these product development successes are commonplace for Rosti today, the company has had to find ways to further accelerate the product development cycle. Time, Trials and Tribulations Three years ago, Rosti faced chal - lenges in manufacturing assembly fixtures in a timely and cost-efficient manner. The prototyping methods it had used were no longer meeting cus - tomer time requirements. A potential solution involved outsourcing additive manufacturing to reduce lead time, but this quickly led to bottlenecks with customers, who wanted to get their products to market as soon as possible. After researching various models of fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printers, Rosti began using an Ultimaker 3 Extended 3D printer. It was a hit, in terms of both value for money and cost efficiency – especially when considering the large volumes of prints that needed to be produced. This volume began increasing, then increasing again. This meant Rosti needed to expand its 3D printing ca - pabilities with the Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle, which enabled the company to use fiber-reinforced 3D printing fila - ment – a game-changer when it came to print results. A Streamlined Design Process Workflow Since beginning to use the Ultimaker S5 Pro Bundle, Rosti has been able to For over 75 years, Rosti has been delivering innovative solutions to customers. Rosti provide injection molding and contract manufacturing services to industries as diverse as packaging, consumer and business appliances, automotive, and healthcare and medical. Their long-lasting success is based on forming partnerships with their customers, and helping them reach their goals through leading-edge technology, flexibility, and integrity with a conscious focus on sustainability from concept to reality. Rosti: From concept to reality with Ultimaker All pictures: Rosti