Eaton’s Vehicle Group rolls out metal 3D printing program

Additive manufacturing is one of the technologies at the core of Eaton’s Industry 4.0 strategy. Eaton

The Vehicle Group of power management company Eaton is implementing a new 3D metal printing program as a part of its Industry 4.0 strategy to reduce development times and improve efficiencies.

The first printer was installed at the company’s Kings Mountain, N.C., facility. Additionally, global deployment of polymer 3D printing technology is slated for completion by the first quarter of 2021.

Eaton uses 3D printers to build fixtures, safety devices, automation grippers for assembly and handling, maintenance components, and for prototyping. To speed the design process, scanners create 3D models of existing components. This process allows components to be reverse-engineered to better leverage 3D printing capabilities, including changing component design to use less material, adding topography elements, or consolidating multiple components into a single part.

The group considers Industry 4.0 to be made up of operational and informational technologies, enabling development of autonomous production systems that are connected, optimized, transparent, proactive, and agile. Supported by an integrated ecosystem, the technologies are composed of augmented reality, rapid application development, autonomous robots, digital simulation, and additive manufacturing.

“I’m proud of our Vehicle Group team and their ingenuity, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the group’s president, João Faria. “By leveraging augmented reality, we are able to continue to support our operations remotely and continue the development of new products, ensuring our customer deadlines are met despite the global challenges we are all facing.”