Saving $1,200 on a single product?

How Flying Horse 3D Printing saved a customer $1,200 on a unfindable 77 year old bottle cap catcher:

This document narrates a recent client story, showcasing how RWR was able to save a considerable amount of money thanks to our skills set and 3D Printing expertise.

 

The Challenge:  A 77-Year-Old Part

One of our clients, Remember When Restoration (RWR), a renowned expert in restoring vintage vending machines in North Georgia, were tasked to restore a 1948 Jacobs 26 vending machine, destined for display at a prestigious racing event sponsored by Coca-Cola.

FOTO

These vending machines, once all over the country in the late ’40s, are now very hard to come by, often found in disrepair with missing components and chipped paint. The particular machine RWR retrieved was in dire need of a complete overhaul, and critically, it was missing the crucial bottle cap catcher.

Despite their extensive search across the country, they were unable to find an original replacement for purchase.

Eventually, Terry, RWR's founder, located a gentleman in Montana who owned an original cap catcher, but was unwilling to sell it, agreeing only to lend it for making copies.

RWR sought quotes for fabricating the part in sheet metal, and the most competitive offer from a metal fabrication shop came in at a staggering $1,500 for a raw, unfinished piece, coupled with an long two-month lead time. 

The cost, added to the production lead time, threatened to derail the entire restoration project and put at stake the chance of displaying a complete restored vending machine.

Looking to an alternative, they reached out to Flying Horse asking for help.

 

Our Solution: Reverse Engineering & 3D Printing

We proposed to reverse engineer the lended part, and fabricate an initial prototype in less than two weeks.

Our approach involved:

1. Reverse Engineering:
   Our design office immediately rolled up their sleeves. Leveraging the lent original part, we reverse-engineered the cap catcher, creating a precise digital 3D model within a couple of days. This process captured every intricate detail of the 77-year-old component.
   
2. Material Selection & Production:
   Once the digital model was finalized, we prepped our materials and equipment for this one-off. As for every project we pre-treated and dehumidified our polymer of choice for cost effective and strong parts, ASA-GF (Acrylonitrile styrene acrylate infused with glass fiber).
   
3. Fabrication
   The printing process, made of the main part and support material, took circa 20hours, with these parameters:
   
   Nozzle temperature: 270C (518F)
   Build plate temperature: 100C (212F) 
   Heated chamber temperature: 70C (158F)
   
   These parameters are the best for insuring a strong bond between the 3D printed layers and retain optimal dimensional accuracy.
   
4. Post Processing: After the part was made, we removed support material, verified dimensional accuracy vs the lended part and inserted #10-32 heat-press nuts for the bottle cap opener.
   
   
5. Delivery & Test fit: Once the prototype was completed,  we delivered it to RWR in the agreed timeframe. Needless to say, they were thrilled, and sent it to painting for color-matching the original 1948 Red color.
   
   
6. Back on track…for the racetrack!
   With this new cap catcher, RWR will complete the Vending Machine, and will be able to display it at the racing event.

A quick recap: Significant Savings & Accelerated Completion

Highligths of benefits RWR had using Flying Horse Services:

• $1,200 in Cost Savings: Our solution provided a dramatically more cost-effective alternative, saving RWR a substantial $1,200 compared to the traditional sheet metal fabrication route.
  
  
• Dimensional compliance: thanks to the use of the advanced machinery, CAD software and engineering skills, the 3D printed prototype was a perfect copy of original part, crucial when the product must lock in place in a larger machine.
  
  
• Dramatic Time Reduction: What would have taken two months with conventional methods was accomplished in a matter of days, allowing RWR to meet their critical deadline.

Can All Parts Be Reverse Engineered?

Theoretically, yes. The ability to reverse engineer a part, regardless of its age or complexity, boils down to the skills and expertise of the engineers performing the task.

If you have an out of production part, and replacement costs an arm and a leg, give us a call and we will make you a replacement.

Contact Flying Horse 3D Printing