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The development of rapid prototyping thanks to 3D printers has opened new doors in the industrial design field.
Mondeo’s R&D area has chosen to use this type of instrument for product development and in the constant search for new solutions, so as to both increase the company catalogue and answer the requirements of clients by creating specific variants of products that are already available.
When designing or co-designing (together with the client) a hydraulic valve, 3D printing has plenty of advantages.
A 3D printer can create a polymer prototype from a drawing of the valve, making it possible to anticipate the product development times. This prototype is fundamental for adapting and defining the design because it gives an overall view of the project and makes it easy to move on to the next phase, a steel prototype, some of whose specific characteristics have already been verified.
At this level it is possible to realistically assess:
- the dimensional aspects of the valve;
- how well the valve respects tolerances;
- valve insertion into the system thanks to assembly tests with the client.
At this point, with the opportune assessments and any adjustments having been made, the stainless steel valve prototype can be realised for operating tests and then production can start.
We are currently applying this new design method to increase our range of check valves in particular, where the challenge is to preserve the hydraulic efficiency characteristics of our Idrja check valves in models devised for new applications.
