Changing Bushings to Vesconite
A UK manufacturer of brackets for electrical equipment has changed its 3D printer bushings to Vesconite bearings.
Following some online searching, Triple Link Manufacturing founder Mark Bagnall discovered a reference to Vesconite 3D printer bushings and was attracted by the fact that they were low maintenance and required no greasing.
In addition, he was pleased with the fact that the product promised low rod wear and would not result in costly damage. The time spent having to strip down the 3D printers to replace the rods and bushings was costly, so combating that would provide a lot of value to the business.
Mark reports that, following some adjustments to make sure that the positioning and the spacing of the bushings was correct, the bushings have been operating well in the 3D printers.
The company has Vesconite Hilube bushings installed on one printer and Vesconite Superlube, the lower-co-efficient-of-friction polymer bushing, installed on the other.
“We produce perfectly good quality products,” states Mark, who notes that the finish is great for functional components that compete with commercial bracket suppliers.
Triple Link Manufacturing, through sister company Indigo Lime, produces Sky TV box brackets, TV wall and stand mounts, and even Playstation mountings, among other products. Mark highlights that customers are accepting the quality of 3D printed parts for functional usage since they are cheaper than injection-molded parts.
The process also allows for the production of the necessary volumes, without large overruns, and, with Mark’s expertise, he has been able to optimise the designs to reduce the print time and the material usage involved in printing, thereby further decreasing the manufacturing and raw material costs.
The company has been steadily growing its electrical equipment bracket manufacturing since sales began at the beginning of the year.
In addition, the design and manufacturing company also continues to produce prototype 3D printed parts for customers who will eventually manufacture their own injection-molded parts.
Vesconite Bushings in Future 3D Printers
As the business expands, there will be more Vesconite installed on future 3D printers due to the success of these first two runs.
Vesconite is happy to be part of the expansion of 3D printers and stands ready with its non-grease bushings.
The original article was featured on Vesconite's website and can be found here.
For more information about Vesconite Hilube, or to see if your application would be a good fit, please contact our engineering department.