Production Resource Group
Global Leader turns to The 3D Consultancy to solve engineering challenge
The Production Resource Group LLC – PRG are a global leader in entertainment and event production solutions and recently engaged The 3D Consultancy to help solve their engineering challenge. The 3D Consultancy were hired to reverse engineer and modify the design of existing injection moulded plastic wedge blocks that precisely set convex and concave pitch angles to LED projector screens.
Existing injection moulded wedge block (left) and LED projector frame assembly (right).
A new angled set-up was required for an imminent Paris event for Taiwanese/Chinese pop star Jay Chou at the Palais Omnisport de Bercy just 2 weeks away. Lead time for injection moulding the new blocks was 4-6 weeks so this wouldn’t work. Given the client’s 2 week lead-time for a new product, 3D printing was the only viable option.
The 3D Consultancy Director Brett Rust is experienced in responding to demanding client lead-times and exacting specifications from his formula one background. A project plan was agreed with the client to reverse engineer the existing component, providing detailed steps and giving the customer an initial estimate of costs for the full project.
The challenging time-sales meant that there would be no time to have a typical regime of repeated design modification, print and test. So The 3D Consultancy elected to do a test run to verify the fit of the wedge blocks and an additional clamping clip. This required working with incremental variations of fractions of a mm to ensure a design that fitted perfectly in this first run.
First off inspection with wedge block and clamp (left) and within screen assembly (right).
Within 6 days of the initial request The 3D Consultancy had a successful first off test fit agreed with PRG. That enabled The 3D Consultancy to freeze the design and go to production for the required 400 wedge blocks and clamping clips.
The 3D Consultancy supplied the blocks in PLA material and the clamps in HP Nylon MJF material. Both options were robust enough to work within the existing metal framework, providing economy as well as speed with processing. For example, the 400 MJF clips being all built in one overnight production build.The finished parts were delivered to the client in 10 days from the initial request and delivered to Paris in time for the event.
High quality and precise parts delivered. Angular tolerance check (left), wedge block close up (right).
PRG were so pleased with the product solution and the service they received from The 3D Consultancy they have since ordered further variants of the wedge blocks for Christina Aguilera’s Las Vegas residency at Zappos Theatre at Planet Hollywood.
If you have an engineering challenge with almost impossible deadlines that require exacting specifications then get in touch.
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