“Initially, the ProJet MJP printer was to review and confirm the structure. We then realized that 3D printed parts help customers better understand our products. They like to hold the parts in their hands. Our new customers are very impressed by how quickly we turn 3D data into physical parts.”

Mr. Yoshiharu Matsushita, Technical Engineering Department, Nippon Katan Corporation (Osaka, Japan)

Nippon Katan Corporation, a pioneer of power transmission lines and equipment, is using 3D Printing to improve speed and efficiency in the development of catenary pole brackets and insulators.

The catenary, which is used for overhead lines, provides essential insulation between the steel tower and the electric transmission wires. The product design is complex and must deliver an extremely durable end product. Therefore, the latest technologies are required to develop the insulator strings which bear the full weight of the wire and are exposed to extreme weather conditions, such as rain, thunder, high winds and snow.

Using Finite Element Modeling software during the design and engineering process, Nippon Katan determined that they needed product prototypes for a more complete and thorough analysis. They contacted iGUAZU, an authorized 3D Systems’ reseller, and immediately identified the ProJet™ MJP 3600 HD 3D Printer (previously named the ProJet HD 3000) as the ideal solution to increase the speed and efficiency of the product development process.

The ProJet™ MJP 3600 HD is an affordable, high-definition 3D printer that offers the broadest applications range available – a bold claim that Nippon Katan confirms. Besides product prototyping, structure verification and design review, they use 3D printed parts for product presentations and communication.

The system is so easy to run that everyone in the department prints parts in their daily work. The ProJet™ MJP 3600 dramatically reduces the company’s product development process and delivers accuracy and precision that meets their high expectations.