Sepura’s customers depend on our mission critical devices to maintain communications throughout operations. To ensure that devices evolve effectively to meet these challenges, Sepura must work in an agile, flexible and innovative way. The use of the the right prototyping technology, such as 3D printing, enables us to perform early testing, sense checking and improves our level of customer engagement.

A good example is a recent battery housing design. Whereas the prototype would normally have taken two weeks to manufacture, using the in-house 3D printer, our Research and Development (R&D) team was able to test-fit the amended design within 24 hours. This enabled faster and easier design iterations and sped up development.

Since updating our 3D printer in November 2021, we have seen significant improvements in this capability. Our new Stratasys J35 Pro printer has precise design and complex material capabilities that can accurately reflect final production parts.

Robert Wright is Principal Mechanical Design Engineer at Sepura and works closely with the wider development team, utilising the 3D printer to help bring products to market sooner. 

“We were already familiar with the benefits of 3D printing having used Stratasys’ PolyJet technology in the past. The J35 Pro adds another important layer to our existing 3D printing capabilities – not only can we now cost-effectively create true-to-life prototype models in-house, but we have also cut our production time significantly, which is a huge benefit to the organisation. ROBERT WRIGHT, PRINCIPAL MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEER, SEPURA

“The variety of materials available with the J35 Pro allows us to create accurate prototypes and means our customers receive a detailed tangible model they can hold in their hands, move and test. We have found the Elastico™ material to be particularly beneficial – we are able to produce sealing prototypes that simulate the look, feel, and function of rubber and can withstand repeated flexing and bending.”PAUL TINDALL, R&D DIRECTOR, SEPURA