Kirkby Malzeard company invests in cutting-edge technology with addition of 3D printing and scanning services

The Kirkby Malzeard based firm is a leading provider of sheet metal fabrication and CNC machining services.

With these new offerings, D&M is equipped to provide even more comprehensive and innovative solutions to meet the complex needs of its clients.

These cutting-edge technologies will enable D&M to offer greater flexibility while maintaining the same high precision and quality customers have come to expect.

With the addition of 3D scanning services, it’s now even easier for D&M to offer reverse engineering services to new and existing customers.

It uses advanced technology to create detailed digital models of existing parts and components, enabling precise replication and customisation.

“When working with Real-world objects, we found that the 3D scanner captures all the shapes and details much faster than we could measure and draw them,” said Mike Barratt, Director and Co-Founder of D&M Design & Fabrication Ltd. “It then converts the scanned item into a working 3D digital model. From this, we can add planes and capture features like hole patterns and difficult shapes with excellent accuracy.”

“We have only had the scanner for a short period and are finding more uses for it daily.”

The 3D scanner is a portable solution, which means they can scan parts on-site at their premises just outside Ripon as well as take the 3D scanner to the customer to scan objects in their environment to get accurate measurements.

D&M's 3D printing service utilises advanced additive manufacturing techniques to produce parts of various shapes and sizes, enabling them to offer rapid prototyping as one of their services.

"We recently found that we needed a 3D Printer for internal reasons. However, since deciding to offer it as a service to our customers, we have used it to reverse engineer parts and make tooling for one-off custom jobs.

"The printer helps with the conception of parts before manufacturing." continued Mr Barratt. "Having a 3D printer has also allowed us to make soft jaws to hold complex shapes in the machining process.”

“Overall, the 3D printer is a vital tool in a modern engineering workshop.”

Using Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) as their chosen method of 3D printing enables them to print both plastic and continuous carbon fibre-reinforced parts in hours.

The carbon fibre-reinforced parts are capable of replacing machined aluminium.

D&M's investment in cutting-edge technology is part of its ongoing commitment to providing its clients with the best possible solutions and staying at the forefront of innovation in the manufacturing industry.

For more information about D&M's 3D printing and 3D scanning services, visit www.dmdesignfabrication.co.uk.