Printing Presses, Empowered by 3D Printing: Robotics Applications and Replacement Parts at HEIDELBERG

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG is the leading global manufacturer of offset printing presses, operating in over 170 countries with close to 10,000 employees worldwide. The company produces a wide range of tools and automation solutions for the entire printing value chain, from some of the largest and fastest state-of-the-art printing presses to cutting and folding machines.

Around six years ago, HEIDELBERG added a new dimension to their workflows: 3D printing. Initially, they introduced the technology to optimize prototyping and product development by cutting costs and lead time. But today, the company uses 3D printed parts in series production, producing thousands of parts per year for around 15 different applications.

Read on to learn how selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printed parts empower lightweight robotics applications and can even replace steel parts in folding machines.

“HEIDELBERG comes to us with projects related to new developments, especially when it comes to the development of components and assemblies that go beyond conventional production,” said Joachim Krumma.

After working for 15 years at HEIDELBERG in product and application development, Krumma now runs CTS-3 GmbH, a technology consultancy in the field of additive manufacturing. They work closely with HEIDELBERG’s research and development team and provide support in product development as well as transferring new applications to series production.

Some of this development takes place in the field, where HEIDELBERG’s product can be directly tested and refined with real-time input from the end customers.

“Meinders & Elstermann is a large offset printing company in Belm. We print about 100 to 120 million sheets of paper every year. We have four HEIDELBERG printing machines in the print shop and seven folding machines in the print finishing department. The machines that HEIDELBERG wants to launch on the market are tested by us and they’re going through continuous development at our site,” said Klaus Harig, the Head of Processing Department at Meinders & Elstermann GmbH & Co. KG.

3D printed parts are used for a wide range of applications: lightweight parts for pick-and-place robots, new components for folding machines, and replacement parts for machine components previously manufactured in steel. To produce them, the team relies on a Fuse Series SLS 3D printer and Nylon 12 Powder for rigid parts or TPU 90A Powder for flexible parts.

Besides cutting lead times, cost savings are also enormous. This is especially true in the field of prototyping, but also in series production of custom and low-volume end-use parts. “We're often looking at a 10x or 20x cost reduction compared to normal production when we manufacture parts,” said Krumma.

The title of the machine with the most 3D printed components goes to the P-Stacker, a state-of-the-art pick-and-place robot system that takes folded sheets in a bundle from the folding machine and positions them on a pallet.

“The robot can stack the pallets up to one meter high. Depending on how fast it is running, it can place up to 18,000 sheets per hour. Before we started using the P-Stacker, one person had to move four to six tons of packages on pallets every day,” said Harig.

Many of the 3D printed parts in this robot are highly complex and perform different functions simultaneously, such as universal joints and brackets responsible for axis movement, axis clamping, pneumatic suction, sensor technology, and sliding properties.

“Weight plays an essential role, especially in robotics applications. The more weight we have, the more mechanical stress the parts are subjected to, which affects the fatigue strength of the parts. We have a fairly high component density in the system, which means that we have little space left for large assemblies and parts,” said Krumma.

This often results in very complex, amorphous structures, as they are developed specifically for the application based on the stresses and forces they are subject to — which can be very high because they are in continuous use. The 3D printed parts are also often combined with other components, like metal bearings or Teflon-coated components, that offer anti-friction properties. 

Many of these complex shapes would not be cost-effective or even possible to manufacture with traditional tools like machining. Some parts would consist of different assemblies and components, and these would have to be laboriously assembled, aligned, and reworked. They would be much heavier and they would make the component density even higher.

Some parts are less complex, but still require high accuracy or delicacy. These can include flexible parts that prevent contamination, shield sharp edges, protect sensors, or prevent wear.

“A 3D printed part has recently been installed in our robot, which can prevent cable breakage and should therefore naturally increase its longevity. This way we can ensure that we don't have a day of downtime where the cable harnesses have to be replaced,” said Harig.

Avoiding and reducing machine downtime is essential in the printing business — any delay can lead to missed deliveries and render the printed material out of date. HEIDELBERG’s extensive service network can ship 95% of replacement parts to any destination worldwide within 24 hours, but the team was curious to test if on-demand 3D printed replacement parts could offer a solution for discontinued parts.

In one of Meinders & Elstermann's older folding machines, Krumma installed 3D printed parts to replace a variety of components originally machined out of steel, such as joints that hold metal rollers weighing up to 13 kg. The parts are under the hood of the machine, exposed to an excessively dirty and greasy environment. They are subject to heavy mechanical and physical stress over extended use, including during emergency stops when the entire machine grinds to a halt in a split second.

“I have to say that they are clearly very durable. I didn't believe that either, but we haven't had to replace any parts in our folding machines yet,” added Harig.

“Many customers are opting for online rather than print products. As a result, many orders that we used to have are no longer there. Print runs are getting shorter and have to be available more quickly. And the only way to counteract this is with new machines. There will be fewer print shops in the future. Those who remain will have to make sure they're well-positioned for the future,” said Harig.

Leveraging 3D printers and working with experts like Krumma and CTS-3 empowers HEIDELBERG to speed up product development, which in turn enables their end customers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing market.

“3D printing is making huge leaps every year. You can see that those who stand still are left behind. We have now reached the point quite quickly where the 3D printing process has definitely paid off compared to conventional production. It's exciting to see what's coming and what's yet to come. And we are looking forward to it,” said Krumma.