Loadhog is a returnable transit packaging company that delivers specialist equipment to move stock for leading high street brands.
Loadhog has invested in the Stratasys F770 3D printer from SYS Systems. This has allowed them to accelerate their product development process and provide the best products for their customers.
SYS Systems is the platinum partner of Stratasys in the UK, supplying and supporting the full range of world-renowned 3D printing technologies from prototyping through to production.
Project Brief:
Loadhog are constantly innovating to find the best solutions for their customers. With such a range of customers and requirements, Loadhog needed to find ways to accelerate their product development processes whilst maintaining high accuracy, consistency and traceability.
Loadhog were looking to upgrade some of their old machines to the latest technology, and made contact with SYS Systems to explore their 3D printing solutions to produce product prototypes quickly and aid the assembly and manufacturing areas of the business.
Loadhog Senior Design Engineer, Martin Baker said:
“We had dabbled with hobbyist machines in the past but they failed because they are not adequate for a professional environment using the machine day in, day out. We were very familiar with Stratasys as a brand and have been working with SYS Systems for a long time and they are both trusted suppliers.”
The Solution:
Loadhog invested in the Stratasys F770 3D printer, supplied by SYS Systems, Platinum Partner of Stratasys, to accelerate their product development timescales, producing specialised, high-quality prototypes and products for their customers.
The F770 3D printer makes industrial scale printing simple, printing large, complex parts affordably, reliably and easily to achieve accurate and high quality industrial products.
“We chose the F770 primarily for its large format capabilities,” said Adam Gibbons, Design Engineer at Loadhog.
“It allows us to print our Loadhog lid on our latest Dolly Max dolly so that we could print the whole thing in a single print. It’s been an imperative part to the development and the innovation of that product. The F770 is very quick to realise new items, new ways of assembly and new ways of producing the parts. We can show customers a vision of what the end product will be which means we can take on customer feedback and make design changes before spending upwards of £500,000 on tooling.”
The Benefits:
Investing in a 3D printer from SYS Systems has allowed Loadhog to enhance their manufacturing processes and upgrade their old machines to the latest technologies. Loadhog is now able to ensure speed, accuracy and traceability in order to streamline and accelerate their manufacturing processes.
“Without the F770, Loadhog wouldn’t be in the position that it is to release the high-quality products to the market as quickly as we do,” said Luke Davis, Design Engineer at Loadhog, as he explained the benefits of Loadhog’s latest investments.
“The F770 is an integral part of what we do and it gives us the reliability and the confidence in our part designs. Since having the F770 here, it has allowed us to progress designs much quicker. We can go from the conceptual phase to the tooling phase in weeks, which would normally take months. Its speed means we can develop a product concept in a day, print it overnight, come in the next day and its ready.
“Over a year, there’s probably only four evenings when the 3D printer doesn’t run. If we were to lose the F770 tomorrow it would be a big loss to the design department, it would be like losing your right arm.”
Why SYS Systems and Stratasys?
SYS Systems supplies and supports the full range of Stratasys’ world-renowned 3D printing technologies in the UK, helping customers with every stage of the manufacturing process, from prototyping through to production.
SYS Systems is part of the Carfulan Group who specialise in providing the most advanced manufacturing technologies available, helping customers across their five divisions to achieve optimal performance and end-product excellence.
