Welcome, I’m Artur, a Software Engineer for Tribosonics. My background is in mechatronics and software development. I’m the software developer for many of the solutions Tribosonics provides. Over the last few years, I’ve had a  special interest in 3D printing which originated during my studies at the University of Leeds. This blog is a small insight into how my 3D Printer was brought into the work we do at Tribosonics.

3D printing (or additive manufacturing) has been around for a relatively short time since some key patents expired on fused filament fabrication (a method for laying layers of plastic to build a 3D model). 3D printers have become more and more popular in hobbyist households and companies of all sizes. The research and development and production sector have especially benefited from the opportunity to make custom parts fast and far cheaper than it was 10 years ago.

Improving agility

Tribosonics is no different, we come across challenges that could benefit from custom parts that would allow us to stay agile in our work, keep the costs down and allow a fast delivery for our customers.

Even though my day-to-day job is primarily in software development, luckily for Tribosonics, I have been interested in 3D printing and the RepRap for quite a while now. In my final year at university, I decided to build my own 3D printer. My initial plan was to learn about mechatronics systems and to use them for personal projects or for fixing and improving goods, but later opportunities manifested that allowed others to benefit as well.

I built the Mendel90 printer design. It was an exciting challenge from sourcing parts, building, to plenty of debugging and finally printing objects. It was a rigid build and allowed for the use of clear acrylic for the frame which made it great to look at and see all the inner workings. As in a true RepRap spirit, the parts for my printer were printed by my friend’s Mendel90 printer, making this a Replica of his printer.

Power of Printing

Soon I discovered that the use-cases are far and wide, starting from decorative objects and ending with functional items such as phone holders. Most prints I produced were to improve the work of the printer itself, including an enclosure made from 2 Ikea coffee tables. I’ve even printed a quadcopter frame for a First-Person View drone project, but that is for a blog for another time.

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I introduced Tribosonics to what a home-built hobbyist 3D printer could do by showing a one-piece planetary bearing that was printed assembled. A fantastic toy.

Before long, our engineering and production teams started seeing the merits of 3D printing. I got my first purchase order and became a supplier to the business as well as an employee!

I printed the ordered part overnight and brought it in the next day. Tribosonics now had a new way of executing a challenging production operation. Better still, the part was made from PLA (polylactic acid) which is a biodegradable plastic.

This was fantastic, my hobbyist 3D printer was involved in the process of manufacturing Condition Monitoring Systems for hazardous locations in the Oil and Gas sector. I’d never have thought that my hand-built printer would take part in a supply chain for these types of products.

Creating new opportunities

A few months later Tribosonics landed a project with a Formula One team, it sounded very exciting. However, the catch was that it had to be completed in 4 weeks. Therefore, this meant that nearly everyone in the business was involved in the project. We were designing, reviewing, manufacturing, and processing data around the clock. Those were an intense couple of weeks… now quite fun to remember.

Also, to meet the deadline we needed to have the right tools at hand. I received more and more orders to print parts as the deadline came closer. Then, I went home, put on a set of parts to print, slept, took them off the print bed in the morning, and went back to the office. I remember that some days I woke up and went to check if the parts had succeeded even before saying Good Morning to my partner. Yes, it was that kind of a week. Regardless, the project was completed successfully and I was even awarded an Outstanding Service Award for my input.

Ever since Tribosonics first used 3D Printed parts we have not looked back. In addition, something that was so mind-blowing at the beginning now feels very natural. Similarly, as 3D printing technology becomes more and more popular I recommend other companies to be open-minded and try out 3D printing to solve small or large challenges. 

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Tribosonics is an innovation-led scale-up with a strong challenger mindset, driving transformation by using its unique sensing technologies to address challenges in tribological contacts (wear, friction and lubrication) in rotating equipment.

Located and forged in Sheffield, it serves global markets in Transport, Power Generation and Manufacturing.

For further information or to arrange a discussion about how Tribosonics can add value to your business, contact: Christina King, c.king@tribosonics.com