TE Connectivity, a world leader in producing connectors and sensors, manufactures 192 billion parts annually. For each customer, TE must address the best way to meet customer requirements to ensure a timely design and production costs allow for an acceptable ROI. Learn how Stratasys Origin One produced end-use 3D printed electrical connectors that meet aerospace requirements.
The global trend is an ever-increasing compression of product design cycles. When TE Connectivity wanted to address customer needs for fast-turn designs of production-ready connectors and accessories, the hunt for the perfect 3D printing solution and materials to solve the problem began in earnest. TE Connectivity, an early adopter of 3D printing technologies, has beta tested the Origin One since 2018. Early on, the additive manufacturing group saw the potential for the technology and material offerings to address design cycle timing with materials that perform well in harsh environments.
An existing aerospace client approached TE Connectivity with a request they didn’t want to pass up: connectors and holders for a helicopter. The missing part needed to address the unique cabling in the final product was a never-before-designed or produced custom holder. The timeline and requirements for a production-grade holder meant that traditional development timelines and manufacturing methods were inadequate for TE Connectivity and its customer.
The other factor, of course, was the material choice. Fused filament-based additive technologies could provide the mechanical properties required, such as high heat and flame retardant properties, but would not be able to meet other requirements: namely, +/- 0.003” accuracy. These traditional workhorse technologies wouldn’t be the best fit. TE Connectivity needed a 3D printing solution to accurately, consistently, and fast process aerospace-grade materials. Only the Stratasys Origin One met those requirements.
As a world leader in manufacturing high-performance connectors and accessories, TE Connectivity required precise accuracy and repeatability across systems in a manufacturing line without fail, all while maintaining a build rate exceeding ten parts per hour to ensure scalable production. The final stage of their relationship with the helicopter manufacturer required that the parts pass industry standard airworthiness and environmental tests to ensure that the part would not fail during various operating conditions.
Together with Stratasys and Henkel, using an Origin One 3D printer, TE Connectivity was able to address their customer’s stringent needs. Stratasys’ Programmable PhotoPolymerization P3™ technology powered the solution. Stratasys’s strong partnership with Henkel Loctite ensured that the correct material for the job was available; a flame retardant photopolymer capable of printing at the accuracy needed for such small parts. TE Connectivity has been able to 3D print thousands of connector parts for multiple clients, including TE’s first-ever aerospace 3D printed production product, the 369 Series connector holder, which is key for helping ensure that the connectors inside of the aircraft remain mated correctly and securely.
