Regular readers of this blog already know that the FluidForming process encourages innovation by integrating CAD and 3D printing to encourage experimentation, and that its capabilities drive research and development of new ideas across a variety of industry sectors, from transportation to healthcare to renewable energy.
In an established, consumer-focused sector like durable goods and appliance manufacturing, FluidForming’s innovative approach and sustainable, cost-saving process still gives manufacturers a competitive edge. Consumers demand clean lines and flawless fit and finish; when dealing with established products in a mature sector, marginal advantages in design, manufacture and materials have a huge impact on the bottom line.
So if you haven’t been following along, here’s a roundup of useful information to show how FluidForming Americas and the FormBalancer press make a seamless fit for appliance manufacturers.
A Quadruple Threat = Good News for Appliance Manufacturers
As the only metal forming process that can deliver bladderless sheet metal forming and deep draw hydroforming in a single machine, the FluidForming FormBalancer offers unparalleled flexibility. And when you need to use an old-fashioned hydraulic or bladder-based metalforming method, the FormBalancer can be configured to take a bladder and perform like a legacy hydroforming machine.
What’s more, the FluidForming process is compatible with a much greater range of materials than traditional hydroforming processes, extending beyond carbon and stainless steel to alloys like Hastelloy and Inconel. The process even works well with aluminum alloys which are notoriously prone to fracturing under stress.
Metal Forming Appliance Parts
When the world’s leading appliance manufacturer comes to you for help with a new high-performance model, what do you do? If you’re FluidForming Americas, you bring the flexibility of the FluidForming technology to bear to help the client move from idea to iteration to prototype, all through a responsive and collaborative process. As our case study shows, the project came in on time, on budget, and on schedule—and at a cost of less than 40 percent of conventional prototyping and tooling.
Rapid Prototyping for the Appliance Manufacturing Sector
One key component to the success of our microwave oven case study was FluidForming’s ability to offer cost-effective rapid prototyping. Because the FluidForming FormBalancer takes advantage of 3D-printed tooling, our machines drastically reduce time-to-market and cost-to-market with drastically reduced tooling expenses. And because the FormBalancer offers multi-use tooling—so that a prototyping tool can be used as the final manufacturing tool—manufacturing costs and timelines shrink.
Green Manufacturing in the Appliance Industry
Costs and timelines aren’t the only things that the FluidForming process can shrink: by adopting a cold forming metalworking technology and using recycled tapwater as the forming force in the FormBalancer, we can shrink your carbon footprint, too. It’s no secret that traditional processes like hot stamping and forging are energy-intensive and waste-producing, and even legacy hydroforming relies on petrochemicals, hydraulic fluids, and pricey consumables. And in addition to using common tap water, FluidForming’s nested tooling capabilities and 99.99% accuracy and repeatability rates virtually eliminate material waste and scrap from non-conforming parts.
With the FormBalancer, FluidForming Americas shrinks the cost, time investment and carbon footprint of precision metalforming. To learn more about the FormBalancer’s capabilities and benefits, contact FluidForming Americas at (800) 497-3545 or email us at info@ffamericas.com.
FluidForming Americas, Inc. is a member of the Precision Metal Forming Association and is AS9100 Rev D, ISO 9001:2015 certified. ITAR registered.