The final application we’ll look at for fiber reinforced 3d printed parts is robotic arm grippers. Any tool at the end of a robotic arm benefits from being lightweight because it requires less energy to move the arm. The grippers also need to be strong and stiff enough to handle the stresses involved with lifting, assembling, or machining the component. Depending on the part that’s being gripped, the grippers sometimes require unique geometry. For these reasons, 3D printed fiber reinforced are the perfect solution.
A U.S. based fittings and valves manufacturer fully embraced the Markforged 3D print technology in their shop. Their engineers used to spend days or weeks tooling up a robotic work cell with custom machined grippers and fittings. Now they can re-tool the robot grippers in less than 24 hours.
