Consumer goods

_Desktop Metal®
[INDUSTRY OPPORTUNTIES]
Consumer goods
[OVERVIEW]

Market-tested goods and custom components

[CONSUMER]

For consumer goods manufacturers, 3D printing benefits both product development and production. During development, it allows for quickly testing designs and collecting market feedback, and during production can create low-volume, regionally-targeted or mass-produced parts without tooling.

Printing also allows traditionally off-the-shelf components - like buttons, buckles, handles, lids and more - to be customized without the need for custom tooling.

_Case Study [A]
_Case Study [A]

Advanced manufacturing meets luxury fashion

A supplier of metal parts to many leading luxury brands, Jade Group uses the Studio System to create prototypes and iterate on part designs before they go into production. The company has also invested in the Shop System to produce larger volumes of parts.

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Creating consumer products

_Our customers

From athletic equipment to faucets to fine jewelery, Desktop Metal customers are among the leading manufacturers of consumer goods across a wide range of industries.

  • 3M Logo
    [3M]
  • Stanley Black & Decker Logo
    [Stanley Black & Decker]
  • Adidas Logo
    [Adidas]
  • Jade Group Logo
    [Jade Group]
  • Google Logo
    [Google]
  • Christian Tse
    [Christian Tse]
  • Moen Logo
    [Moen]
  • Milwaukee Tool Logo
    [Milwaukee Tool]
  • Kolb KG Logo
    [Kolb KG]
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From prototyping to mass production

_3D printing solutions

Desktop Metal manufactures 3D printing solutions for all scales of production - from complex prototypes and on-demand tooling to rapid manufacture of thousands of parts.

Part Gallery

_Consumer applications

3D printing has the ability to impact nearly every step in consumer goods design, development and manufacturing — changing both how our products look and how they are made.

  • Ski Binding

    PA6 + CF
    The ski binding heel track attaches to the base plate on a ski, allowing the heel binding to be adjusted.

    Ski Binding

    • Size (mm) 143 x 57 x 10
      Cost ($) 6.24
      Weight (g) 25
      Print time (hr) 5

    • Ski bindings need to be extremely stiff to withstand the forces experienced by the ski as it turns, making composites an ideal choice.

      Using Fiber™, manufacturers can prototype this part before it is mass produced via injection molding.

  • Putter

    17-4 PH
    Custom designed golf putter is an example of the customization that is possible with 3D printing.

    Putter

    • Size (mm) 135 x 92 x 38
      Cost to print ($) 128.00
      Cost to machine ($) 2203.00
      Cost reduction 94.00%

    • Golf clubs, especially putters, are typically cast or machined. With the Studio System, manufacturers can achieve excellent material properties without tooling or expensive CNC machining.

      The Studio System allows for customization of parts like putters, so each player can have a design that is best suited to them. And when those designs go into mass production, they can be manufactured via binder jetting.

  • Watch Bezel

    17-4 PH
    A watch bezel is the main component that houses the dial and movement.

    Watch Bezel

    • Size (mm) 43 x 48 x 9.5
      Cost per part ($) 1.06
      Parts per build 1,200
      Annual throughput 497,950

    • Because it prints parts with no tooling, the Production System is capable of printing multiple different watch models in each run, greatly reducing manufacturing part cost and lead time.

  • Guitar tailpiece

    17-4 PH
    The guitar tailpiece anchors one end of the guitar strings.

    Guitar tailpiece

    • Size (mm) 127 x 28 x 20
      Cost to print ($) 36.00
      Cost to machine ($) 343.28
      Savings vs. machining 89.51%

    • The guitar tailpiece is typically cast from aluminum, and can be fairly expensive to customize for short manufacturing runs.

      Printing in steel allows design freedom and part customization while eliminating tooling costs. Steel tailpieces also exhibit more pleasing resonance and sustain characteristics for some genres and playing styles.

  • Skydiving Camera Mount

    PA6 + GF
    This mount attaches a camera to the helmet of a skydiver.

    Skydiving Camera Mount

    • Size (mm) 64 x 84 x 14
      Cost ($) 3.89
      Weight (g) 16
      Print time (hr) 3

    • Glass fiber reinforced PA6 allows for high specific stiffness to withstand those forces at a low cost. This part has to support the weight of the camera while being hit with 100mph+ winds during free fall.

  • Cuff Ring

    316L
    Example of the unique jewelry that can be customized and scaled for a tailored fit.

    Cuff Ring

    • Size (mm) 59 x 54 x 80
      Cost to print ($) 43.00

    • Unique jewelry pieces can be 3D printed without the design lock-in, long lead times and costs associated with tooling. The Studio System’s high resolution print head produces small parts with fine features and surface finish.

  • Surfboard Fin

    PA6 + FG
    A hydrofoil mounted on the underside of a surfboard, the fin enables foot-steering and improves stability.

    Surfboard Fin

    • Size (mm) 143 x 120 x 6.8 mm
      Cost ($) 11.05
      Weight (g) 31
      Print time (hr) 5

    • Printing on Fiber enables rapid functional prototyping of the many variables that affect surfboard performance - the fin’s rake, cant, base length, height - and greatly speeds the process when compared to traditional hand layup.

      Composites are ideal for this part due to their high strength. In this case, the part is made from PA6 nylon with fiberglass reinforcement to keep costs low and to resist corrosion.

  • Skateboard Truck

    17-4 PH
    This part attaches wheels to a skateboard deck, and was optimized using generative design tools

    Skateboard Truck

    • Size (mm) 201 x 76 x 52
      Cost to print ($) 161.00
      Cost to DMLS ($) 1163.00
      Cost reduction 86.00%

    • Generative design and 3D printing allows for the fabrication of innovative designs impossible with casting (the traditional production method for skateboard trucks).

      The Studio System can print that previously impossible geometry, resulting in trucks that are more aesthetically pleasing, stronger, and lighter.

  • Rook Chess Piece

    316L
    One of six types of movable objects used in the game of chess.

    Rook Chess Piece

    • Size (mm) 46 x 46 x 72
      Cost to print ($) 46.00
      Cost to machine ($) 329.67
      Cost reduction 52.68%

    • Unique chess piece designs can easily be 3D printed without the long lead times and costs associated with tooling. The Studio System’s high resolution print head produces small parts with fine features and surface finish.

  • Octopus Ring

    316L
    Example of the unique jewelry that can be customized and scaled for a tailored fit.

    Octopus Ring

    • Size (mm) 38 x 38 x 30
      Cost to print ($) 14.00

    • Unique jewelry pieces can be 3D printed without the design lock-in, long lead times and costs associated with tooling. The Studio System’s high resolution print head produces small parts with fine features and surface finish.

  • Curling Whip

    PA6 + FG
    Used in wheelchair curling, this part allows athletes to push curling stones from a seated position.

    Curling Whip

    • Size (mm) 129 x 46 x 33
      Cost ($) 11.24
      Weight (g) 37
      Print time (hr) 7

    • The shape and weight of the whip are critical to the athlete’s performance. Plastic alternatives often break during competition and machined aluminum requires long CNC milling lead times and labor.

      Fiber enables the rapid production of custom whip geometry, while continuous fiberglass reinforcement provides a lighter and stiffer alternative to aluminum.

  • Bike Pedal Crank

    PA6 + FG
    Connecting arm responsible for attaching a pedal to the rear wheel crankset of a bike.

    Bike Pedal Crank

    • Size (mm) 205 x 46 x 24
      Cost ($) 22.82
      Weight (g) 66
      Print time (hr) 9

    • Shedding weight is critical for performance bikes. Composites are an ideal choice for bike components like this due to their high specific strength and stiffness.

      Printing on Fiber in fiberglass-reinforced PA6 allows for the manufacture of a corrosion resistant, low cost, functional prototype without the typical labor-intensive process of hand layup.

  • Clipper Blade

    17-4 PH
    This part is a clipper blade used in an electric hair trimmer.

    Clipper Blade

    • Size (mm) 36 x 35 x 3.5
      Cost per part ($) 5.74
      Parts per build 684
      Weekly throughput 4,788

    • Manufacturing this clipper blade would traditionally require expensive tooling for production via stamping or metal injection molding. Mass producing on the Shop System eliminates tooling costs and drastically reduces manufacturing lead time.

      Furthermore, additive manufacturing enables mass customization - allowing real-time adjustments to the part.

  • Spauger Bit

    17-4 PH
    This part is a drill bit used to quickly drill holes in clean wood.

    Spauger Bit

    • Size (mm) 166 x 12 x 12
      Cost per part ($) 1.95
      Parts per build 800
      Annual throughput 280,470

    • Using traditional methods, this spauger bit required more than 20 manufacturing steps. With the Production System, that number is reduced to just four, with post processing only required to reach the desired hardness and surface finish. This greatly reduces the part cost and manufacturing lead time.

  • Watch Case

    17-4 PH
    The case is the main component of a watch, and houses the dial and movement.

    Watch Case

    • Size (mm) 47 x 38 x 7.7
      Cost per part ($) 1.96
      Parts per build 1,170
      Annual throughput 1,825,824

    • For each different watch model and size, different tooling is required. This makes doing smaller, more custom watch models prohibitively expensive. The Production system eliminates the need for tooling dramatically reducing part cost.

      Watch producers can now manufacture on-demand, producing watch designs that never could have been justified before.

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Learn more

_Resources

Learn more about Desktop Metal 3D printing systems, 3D printing applications, and case studies in our Resources Center.

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