Investing in 3D printers at Derbyshire HQ, means RB can now create scaled prototypes of various products, creating a cost-effective way of trialling research & development projects.
Ever the innovator, the company has already successfully produced essential 3D components for use in the precast manufacturing facility at Walton Park HQ which would have taken months to source externally.
“Producing a prototype via traditional fabrication techniques can cost a lot of time and money and minor changes to a mould or tooling can be extremely expensive,” explained Joe Bayley, RB Digital Design Project Engineer.
“The main benefit of the 3D printer is that you can print a few pieces at low cost to test out your concept and iron out any design errors before committing your final design to mass production. 3D printing therefore eliminates most of the financial risk involved in this process.”
The 3D printers have also produced scaled down models of the RB main piling fleet, including the hydraulic arms, which demonstrates the agility of the 5000 series rig, which can be mobilised within a minute of offloading on site.
