Change parts for packaging machines
New product, new bottle shape, new carton: packaging lines constantly need new change parts. Machined, that takes weeks. Printed, star wheels, guides and grippers are often ready to install in days.
Reorders with identical parameters
Typical change parts
Parts that guide, grip or separate the product.
Star wheels and timing screws
Contoured to bottle, can or tube.
Guide rails
Quiet running guides in PA12.
Suction grippers and nests
With integrated vacuum channels.
Folding tools
Small parts for cartoning and folding stations.
Suitable materials
PA12 slides well and resists wear, PA12-CF for stiff change parts, TPU for gentle product contact.
- PA12Tough, low-friction nylon for functional mechanical parts.
- PA12-CFCarbon-filled nylon 12 - the metal replacement workhorse.
- PETGTough, food-safe-capable everyday workhorse.
- TPUFlexible thermoplastic polyurethane - Shore 95A.
Details for change parts
- 01Product contour or a sample product.
- 02Interface dimensions and fixing on the machine.
- 03Whether there is direct food contact.
- 04Cleaning method on the line.
Format changes without waiting
Change parts are a classic bottleneck. The new product is ready, the line is waiting, but the machined parts arrive in weeks. Printed change parts shorten that wait considerably.
They also work as a trial. The first star wheel is printed and tested, corrections go into the next version. You decide afterwards whether the final part stays printed or is machined.
For product contact we clarify requirements upfront and say openly when another process is better suited.
Manufacturing data at a glance
- Location
- Schleswig, Germany
- Part size
- up to approx. 250 x 250 x 250 mm, larger parts split and joined
- Quantities
- 1 to several thousand, no minimum order quantity
- Tolerances
- approx. ±0.2 mm for PLA, PETG and carbon grades, ±0.3 mm for ABS, ASA and PC
- Layer height
- 0.10 to 0.30 mm
- Materials
- 20 engineering filaments from PLA to PA12-CF and PC FR
- File formats
- STEP, STL, 3MF, OBJ, IGES up to 200 MB
- Lead time
- 2 to 4 working days for samples, 4 to 15 working days for series
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Change part FAQ
- Are printed change parts food safe?
- It depends on material and use. Direct food contact has strict requirements that an FDM part does not meet automatically. We clarify this honestly upfront.
- How wear resistant are printed star wheels?
- PA12 and PA12-CF hold up well in format service. Wear first shows on contact faces, which we thicken if needed.
- Can you print large star wheels?
- Up to about 250 mm in one piece. Larger parts are split into segments.
- Do we get identical reorders?
- Yes, print data and parameters are archived per project.
Read next
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