Morgan Motor Company & 3D Printing - 08 Mar 2016

Stanford Marsh are deighted to be working with a number of mainstream Car Manufacturers, as well as within Formula 1 and Automotive supply chain component manufacturers, but one company stands out for us amongst our clients and that is niche car Manufacturer the Morgan Motor Company.

Morgan have embraced 3D printing using the Stratasys Fortus series of production FDM printers for the production of end use parts as well as Jigs and Fixtures & have been heavilly featured in many of the industries publications, most recently in the New Design Magazine.

Our customers tell us that their main challenges today are to reduce costs and find innovative ways to compete within their markets, to increase productivity and provide a rapid turnaround. It’s those challenges that 3D printing and being BIM compatible can
add real value to your business. 

Stanford Marsh Limited have been providing Design Office solutions since 1965 and
throughout their 50-year trading have helped customers choose the right tools to get their
designs conveyed, products manufactured and to save money. So when 3D print became a part of their line-up over seven years ago, it was easy to get caught up in the hype surrounding the technology and it took time to cut through the headlines in order to demonstrate to their customers the true business benefits for 3D print. 

To some extent that remains the case still, as headlines continue to focus on wacky applications and/or the commodity hobbyist market. 3D printing continues to be utilised mostly for rapid prototyping, proving concept, design intent and fit, form, function early on in product development. Making changes and iterations at vastly reduced costs, within hours for what would have previously taken weeks. Getting product to market far sooner and resulting in sales ahead of previous timescales and in advance of the competition. You could say it’s a given that designers and engineers now understand the benefits of 3D print for rapid prototyping and are seeing the benefits firsthand, but what lies beyond?Stanford Marsh are seeing a significant increase in customers using 3D printing for manufacturing of end-parts, as well as jigs, fixtures, drill guides, injection moulding and soluble core applications, in many cases producing complex parts otherwise impossible to make using conventional manufacturing processes.

Stratasys’ association with Airbus has been well documented already; an A350 XWB aircraft with over 1000 printed parts in operation, using ULTEM 9085 resin for FDM. The significance of this case-study goes to show how Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM) will only continue to grow, as 3D Printers become faster, further materials become available and people realise the applications for DDM within their own business.

Closer to home, Stanford Marsh 3D Print specialists (SMG3D) are working with the prestigious Malvern based motor company Morgan within their Special Projects Division. 

The Morgan Motor Company & Stratasys 3D Printers for Automotive

Morgan initially trialled a Stratasys uPrint system, which later lead to the installation of a Stratasys Fortus 250. Initially the trial was slow going, as it wasn’t apparent how 3D print technology could be used within their traditional business. However, as part of the development and now production of the SP1, Morgan have used 3D printing for the manufacture of parts and later found added benefits for jigs and fixings: a reflection of both Morgan’s willingness to embrace the future, whilst remaining constant to its coach-built craft roots. The SP1 truly celebrates the blend of craftsmanship and technology that Morgan is so famous for. 

Source New Design Magazine 

              Morgan Motor Company