Stratasys
Origin One
produced
productiongrade 3D printed
products thatmeet aerospacerequirements
Stratasys Origin One delivers end-use
parts to withstand harsh environments
TE Connectivity, a world leader in the productionof connectors and sensors, manufactures 192
billion parts annually for its global customer base.
For each of their customers, TE must address thebest way to meet customer requirements to ensure
a timely design, and production costs allow for an
acceptable ROI.

Case Study

The global trend is an ever-increasing compressionof product design cycles. When TE Connectivity
wanted to address customer needs for fast turndesigns of production-ready connectors andaccessories, the hunt for the perfect 3D printing
solution and materials to solve the problem began
in earnest. TE Connectivity, an early adopter of
3D printing technologies, had been beta testing
the Origin One since 2018. Early on, the additive
manufacturing group saw the potential for thetechnology and material offerings to address
design cycle timing with materials that perform wellin harsh environments.

Stratasys has been a great
partner in helping us optimize
accuracy and repeatability
for connectors that require+/- 50 micron accuracy, anddemonstrating the possibilities
of using additive manufacturing
to produce part volumes inthe tens thousands.
Mark Savage
Senior Manager, Additive Manufacturing of TE Connectivity

2 2Flexible production volumes andexpanded catalog options withthe Origin One 3D printerThe problem: one size doesn’t fit all
TE Connectivity was approached by an existing
aerospace client with a request they didn’t want topass up: connectors and holders for a helicopter.
The missing part needed to address the uniquecabling in the final product was a never-beforedesigned or produced custom holder. The timeline
and requirements for a production-grade holder
meant that traditional development timelines andmanufacturing methods were inadequate for bothTE Connectivity and its customer.

Document
Case
StudyTitle Here

Another hurdle: aerospace-grade materials
The other factor, of course, was material choice.
Fused filament-based additive technologies could
provide the mechanical properties required, suchas high heat and flame retardant properties, butwould not be able to meet other requirements:
namely, +/- 0.002 in. accuracy. These traditional

workhorse technologies wouldn’t be the best fit.
TE Connectivity needed a 3D printing solutionthat could process aerospace-grade materials
accurately, consistently, and fast. Only theStratasys Origin One met those requirements.
The final test: production validation
As a world leader in the manufacturing of highperformance connectors and accessories, TEConnectivity required precise accuracy andrepeatability across systems in a manufacturing
line without fail, all while maintaining a build rate
exceeding 10 parts per hour to ensure scalable
production. The final stage of their relationshipwith the helicopter manufacturer required that theparts pass industry standard airworthiness andenvironmental tests to ensure that the part would
not fail during a variety of operating conditions.

3

Delivering
scalable,profitablepart production
Fast, accurate 3D printing
Together with Stratasys and Henkel, using an
Origin One 3D printer, TE Connectivity was able
to address their customer’s stringent needs. The
solution was powered by Stratasys’ Programmable
PhotoPolymerization P3™ technology. Stratasys’s
strong partnership with Henkel Loctite ensured
that the correct material for the job was available;
a flame retardant photopolymer capable of printing
at the accuracy needed for such small parts. TEConnectivity has been able to 3D print thousandsof connector parts for multiple clients, including
TE’s first-ever aerospace 3D printed production
product, the 369 Series connector holder, which is
key for helping ensure that the connectors inside of
the aircraft remain mated correctly and securely.
Learn how you can expand your production
offerings and increase your client portfolio by
reaching out to your Stratasys representative today.

Today, we’re seeing thehardware, the software, andthe materials from Stratasys
really come together to begin
making production scale areality for us. We believe thishelps make TE Connectivity amore agile and cost-effective
partner for many of the world’s
leading OEMs, in industries
from automotive to aerospace
to appliances, as we work tobuild a more connected future.
Mark Savage
Senior Manager, Additive Manufacturing of TE Connectivity

Stratasys Headquarters

Case Study

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by TE Connectivity. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Product specifications subject to change without notice.
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