WASP has concluded a partnership with fitness equipment manufacturer Technogym, which uses a Delta WASP 4070 Industrial 4.0 3D printer for prototyping its new equipment for fitness. (This model also has an improved version called Delta WASP 4070 Industrial X that features considerably higher print speeds.)
Technogym purchased the printer in order to reduce its maintenance costs and enable the creation of large prototype parts. The machine proved to be a great tool that shortens lead times, especially for large components. "We chose the Delta WASP 4070 INDUSTRIAL 4.0 system for many reasons, one of the most important is certainly its large print volume feasibility," Technogym explained. "We also appreciate its printing speed and the much lower cost of support-materials, which allows us to buy more material spools and make more tests."
Established in 1983, the company manufactures gym equipment suitable for fitness facilities and home use. Technogym was also an exclusive supplier for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
To aid in the development of its products, the Cesena-based Technogym Village headquarters has the T-Factory & T-Research and Development Department which houses more than 130 designers and engineers who have created 93 trademarks and 142 international patents. The Technogym Village is designed to serve as a "hotbed of ideas, where innovation, information and research are shared."
Technogym has placed the new printer in the T-Factory & T-Research and Development Department, where the company integrates the entire manufacturing process to foster the product design. Many of the company’s equipment prototypes have thus been made with the WASP 3D printer.
The Delta WASP 4070 Industrial 4.0 is an FFF 3D printer designed specifically for the production of large parts, with a chamber capacity of Ø 40 cm x 70 cm. The maximum print speed of the 4.0 version is 150 mm/s while the Delta WASP 4070 Industrial X boasts 200 mm/s. Technogym bought this 3D printer because they believed it would help them visualize and precisely convey their concepts for products, especially in terms of shapes and functionality.
Prior to this, Technogym used a smaller device with which they prototyped parts in ABS. But, the company needed a larger solution to create more sizable components, and the Delta WASP 4070 became a major tool for the company's design and production processes. Every month, the manufacturer is able to create around 15 to 20 components for its prototype fitness equipment that measure up to 30 centimeters, which helps avoid errors during the design stage. Thanks to the material compatibility of the printer, Technogym can also make prototypes with PLA filament, which is a good option for concept models since they do not release harmful fumes in the process of extrusion or deposition.
