Somfy (France)
Product development for the smart home
Somfy achieves productivity with SLS printers from Sinterit
Somfy, the world leader in automatic control for home and building doors and windows, is also a technically savvy company. Using additive manufacturing for prototyping purposes, Somfy has embarked on a journey from outsourcing to setting up its own 3D printing lab. It now uses Sinterit Lisa PRO and Lisa X 3D printers to achieve even greater precision and design freedom.
With the pinnacle of innovation in sight
Cluses is a small French town located in the Arve Valley, between Geneva and Chamonix. If you’re a mountain biker, it will take you about two hours and 1500 vertical metres to reach the Tête de la Sallaz, where you can enjoy a spectacular view of Mount Blanc. But if you choose to stay in the valley, Somfy may be the right destination. Its large complex overlooking the Arve River is the largest company in town. And it is here that, for more than 50 years, the Somfy Group has been improving living conditions through automation by designing and developing solutions for comfort, safety, energy savings and personal autonomy. The research and development centre, located a few hundred metres away, is the true home of additive manufacturing.
Home for additive manufacturing
The R&D building is impressive, but for a company that holds more than 2,280 patents, it’s explainable. In addition, Somfy owns 16 other innovation centres around the world in Cluses. Here in France, you’ll find almost every 3D printing technology available, which fits in with the company’s agile and innovative thinking.
From FFF (FDM) to SLS
When Somfy launched the additive manufacturing department in its research and development centre, the idea was to open minds to new possibilities. In the beginning, Somfy used third-party suppliers to source prototypes. This was almost exclusively FDA technology printing. With increasing demands and developments in 3d printing, it later switched to SLS technology.
“The first step is prototyping,” Jonathan Caillat, manager of the Additive Manufacturing and Mechanics workshop, describes Somfy’s idea to implement 3D printing into its processes. “However, using additive manufacturing to design new products or improve existing ones is only a starting point. Manufacturing parts for factories is the second step. For this you need multiple materials with different properties. That’s what Somfy is doing right now. The last step is to produce spare parts for end users,” he adds.
Why SLS?
“Productivity was the main reason Somfy turned to Sinterit’s SLS technology. Printing many pieces in one batch changed the game,” says Philippe Bendel, head of additive manufacturing development.
SLS 3D printing technology is best known as a predictable additive manufacturing technology. Designers choose it for several reasons. With non-powder technologies such as FFF (FDM) and SLA, you must add special support structures to the model to prevent it from collapsing during printing. In SLS, no supports are needed because the unsintered powder that surrounds the prints in the print chamber becomes a support itself. It also facilitates the development of moving parts with complicated internal geometries or smooth surfaces – it’s hard to notice the layers at all. SLS prints are known for their durability, and because the powder is reusable after printing, it also becomes an economical solution.
Somfy uses Sinterit Lisa Pro and Lisa X printers for prototyping, among other things. An example is a part that was previously machined as a label support. This was previously quite expensive. Now that it is printed on a 3D printer, the cost reduction is quite substantial.
Another part is used for engine reducers. It rotates at high speed and distributes lubricant to the reducers. This small part, even though it’s made with CNC, cost about 50-100 times more than 3D printing with Lisa X. Not to mention that machining this part is extremely difficult because of the precision required. “With SLS, we can ensure productivity”, emphasizes Jonathan Caillat.
“We also produce parts that are both 3D printed and machined, just like this device, where the housing is printed on a 3D printer and the removable electrical content is machined.”
Somfy’s experience proves that 3D printing technology brings unprecedented possibilities and significant cost savings.
