Lets talk: 3D printing
In an exclusive chat with the directors of 3D printing specialist Inventex, Technical Editor Steed Webzell learns about the expansive opportunities that arrive with a bespoke design service Better 3D prints, by design
Darren and Jo Howton are the directors and founders of Inventex and its sister company The 3D Printers, both based in Kent. While The 3D Printers offers a UK-wide 3D printing service for products, parts, prototypes and models, the launch of Inventex with its in-house design service delivers a whole new take on the possibilities available with this innovative manufacturing process. “Today, the most successful part of our business is undoubtedly bespoke design,” says Jo Howton. “For example, we work closely with a major online retailer, helping them solve ‘pain points’ during refits at their warehouse and distribution centres. A recent product we designed - a robust, easy-to-assemble retrofit racking clip with locking mechanism - saved the customer £500,000 across its facilities in 2023 because of the previous breakages that our solution eliminated Designs on success The success of any 3D printed part clearly hinges on its design. And design for additive processes differs to that for other types of manufacture. “We sometimes have customers who want
to replace an injection moulded part with a 3D-printed equivalent,” says Darren Howton, a man with more than two decades of experience in 3D printing design and manufacture. “When preparing the drawing they tend to copy the same features, including a rake/draft angle for injection moulding, which is not required for 3D printing. Many also design nice radiused edges, which is lovely from an aesthetic perspective but doesn’t add anything to the part’s performance. So why not save some money by having a 45° edge instead of a radius. The aesthetic will be almost the same, but more importantly the print job will be faster, cleaner and cheaper.” 3D printing today embraces a wide range of engineering-grade polymers. By way of
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