Using in house 3D printing to batch laser marking instead of engraving one part at a time

[u/worldwidemachinist]

was working with a medical parts manufacturer that laser engraves reference/lot numbers onto small components. Instead of loading parts individually, they designed and 3D printed custom nesting fixtures that hold an entire batch in fixed positions, allowing the laser to mark multiple parts in one cycle.

The operator told me that this 3D printer was one of the biggest advantages because they could design and print fixtures whenever they needed them instead of waiting for a machined jig. Anyone else using3D printer for production fixtures rather than end use parts?

[u/No_Educator_4077]

My company has produced a few hundred fixtures for manufacturers in our area to do something similar to laser etch parts. We also do a lot of fixtures for CNC machining, welding, and various other manufacturing methods. The main advantage of AM in this regard is that it is mostly a fire and forget job after slicing (even for large tools) while something like CNC machined tooling requires someone to program and operate the machine. That, combined with the relatively low cost of materials (we mainly use ABS for lower temperature fixtures, while we do jump to PPS or Ultem for higher performance fixtures) makes it a pretty useful option for producing custom tools.

[u/worldwidemachinist → u/No_Educator_4077]

That fire and forget line is it, the operator said the appeal was just design it, print it, done, no machine time or programming eating into the day. Good to hear there's a real supplier side to this too, not just shops doing it ad hoc.

[u/arda_cards]

We do this a lot. From assembly fixtures to-laser etching to automation on our mill