| The task Founded in 1997, Julius-K9® has already achieved a leading position in the market for dog sports, working and hobby dog equipment and accessories in several EU countries.One of their products is a dog toy or accessory, called bite pad or tug, which helps to stimulate the predatory instinct during a training. The tug is subjected to heavy wear and tear and therefore it requires a heavy-duty design, which means, among others, that its handles must be sewn and fastened very precisely and firmly. |
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| The challange Accurate and at the same time fast sewing is facilitated by a sewing template, in which the parts of the tug are fixed with screws, ensuring that the parts do not move during sewing. On the other hand, the needle is going across a slot in the template so the fabric is sewed in exactly the right place. Using the template, the sewing process speeds up and it will be more precise.In the past this template was made from aluminium, but as Julius-K9 produces a wide range of products in different sizes, it is time-consuming and expensive to make an aluminium template for every variation. It became necessary to find a substitute for aluminium and a technology to produce the template more quickly and cost-effectively. |
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| The solution Julius-K9 has been using 3D printing in the production for several years, and sewing templates have been produced using this technology for 3 years. Initially, a number of filaments were tried, but due to the heavy use, the templates usually broke quickly and easily.Around this time, Filaticum completed the development of PLA Advanced filament, which allows 3D printing of stronger, more durable objects than standard PLA does. At the same time, it can be printed as easily and accurately as PLA filaments in general. After consultation with Filaticum experts and testing of the filament, PLA Advanced was chosen for the task.The red color helps to easily identify the templates in the factory and to separate them from other pieces during sewing. |
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| The result Using the strong Filaticum PLA Advanced filament, the templates can be printed straightforwardly and accurately, and then they withstand repeated heavy use for a long time, up to six months. If a replacement is needed, it can be reproduced within a few hours, and in case of variation in size, a new one can be easily pruduced by changing the parameters. |
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| Julius-K9 uses a large Modix3D printer, Filaticum supplies the company with 9 kg filament on one spool to match the printer’s capacity, allowing more efficient printing with less material loss.
The fast and continuous supply of raw material is not an insignificant aspect either. Filaticum delivers the raw material quickly and flexibly to meet changing production volumes. |
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