Leader in metal and composite 3D printing cuts cost and time for oil and gas giant
WATERTOWN, Mass. and TORONTO, June 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Markforged, the leading manufacturer of metal and carbon fiber 3D printers, today announced that Shawcor, a global energy services company in Canada, selected Markforged 3D printer solutions to produce parts that would save the company $1.6 million CAD (~$1.2m USD).
The Composite Production Systems division at Shawcor was tasked with a new project that required them to transfer large tape pads weighing between 115 and 230 pounds — too heavy for a person to load and unload. The team needed a custom machine to handle the load, but realized it required too much time and money to develop using traditional methods.
“Without the pad handling machine up and running, Shawcor would lose roughly $1.6 million CAD over the course of a year,” said Phil Minors, Senior Mechanical Designer at Shawcor. “We had two choices: front the cost for the machine or lose revenue each month.”
However, the division found a third option – Markforged continuous strand carbon fiber printers could produce the parts required for the machine and save $27,000 CAD by swapping aluminum and sheet metal for 3D printed parts.
“We virtually eliminated the three- to-six-week turnaround time that existed for replacement parts,” said Minors. With Markforged technology, the Shawcor team started printing custom parts for the machine, and ended up with 53 unique 3D printed parts. Of these parts, 45% are reinforced with Kevlar®, HSHT fiberglass, or carbon fiber to increase overall stiffness and reduce the need to replace parts.
Shawcor now uses continuous carbon fiber parts even beyond the Manufacturing Technology Group. The entire Composite Production Systems engineering team utilizes the printer for prototyping, testing, and iterating. To read more about the Shawcor case study, visit https://markforged.com/case-studies/shawcor/.
About Markforged:
Markforged transforms manufacturing with the most affordable 3D metal and carbon fiber printers capable of producing parts tough enough for the factory floor. Engineers, designers, and manufacturing professionals all over the world rely on Markforged metal and composite printers for tooling, fixtures, functional prototyping, and high-value end-use production. Founded in 2013 and based in Watertown, MA, Markforged has about 300 employees globally, with $137 million in both strategic and venture capital. Markforged was recently recognized by Forbes in the Next Billion-Dollar Startups list, and listed as the tenth fastest growing tech company in the US in the 2018 Deloitte Fast 500. To learn more about Markforged, please visit https://markforged.com.
About Shawcor
Shawcor Ltd. is a global energy services company specializing in products and services for the pipeline and pipe services segment of the oil and gas industry and related products for the petrochemical and industrial market. The company operates through a global network of fixed and mobile manufacturing and service facilities and is valued for its integrity, technology, and proven capability to execute the most complex projects in its industry.
Contact:
Julia Dunlea
Director of Corporate Marketing
415-963-4174
press@markforged.com