A packaging equipment OEM came to us with a machined metal carton extracting tool and a simple question: could 3D printing do the same job for less weight without costing more? We converted the original metal tool to Nylon 12 through our design and engineering process, and the answer turned out to be yes on every axis: lighter, more capable, delivered in 3 days, at a final price equivalent to the machined part.
The Conversion: Metal to Nylon 12
A carton extracting tool pulls flat carton blanks from a magazine and presents them to the erecting mechanism, cycle after cycle, which makes weight and durability the two properties that matter most. Converting the tool to Nylon 12 cut the moving mass, and because the geometry is printed rather than machined, we added more optional air channels to the design without any impact on the price.
What the OEM Got
- Lighter weight than the original machined tool
- More optional air channels, added at no extra cost
- No minimum quantity and no setup fee
- 3 day delivery
- Final price equivalent to the machined part
How the Design Process Works
For every printed part we start by setting the boundaries where material is allowed to exist and defining the load case. The result is an organic structure representing the minimum material required to support the load. After running a part analysis, we complete the design with the final details: in this tool, a combination of plastic tapping and threaded inserts depending on where fasteners land, and air channels routed wherever they are useful, because machinability is no longer a constraint. The full method is documented in our SLS design guidelines.
Why OEMs Convert Tools to Nylon
For equipment OEMs the appeal is repeatability without inventory: no minimum order, no setup fee, and a replacement or revision that ships in days from CAD. The same conversion logic powers our Automatic Carton Erector (ACE) line and the broader family of robot end of arm tooling we print for packaging machinery.
Metal to Nylon Conversion Questions
Does a 3D printed tool really cost the same as machined?
In this conversion the final price was equivalent to the machined part, with no minimum quantity and no setup fee, and the printed version added capability the machined one lacked.
How fast can a converted tool be delivered?
This carton extracting tool was delivered in 3 days from design completion, because printing removes machine setup and fixturing from the schedule.
How are threads handled in Nylon 12 parts?
With a combination of plastic tapping and threaded inserts, chosen per location based on load and how often the fastener will be removed.
Have a Metal Tool Worth Converting?
Tell us about your robot, your product, and your target cycle time, our team will recommend a tooling design that fits your payload, changeover, and budget.
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