Expert Tooling and Automation Ltd.

Expert Tooling and Automation (EXTA) builds highly advanced assembly tooling, special purpose machinery, and automation products. EXTA is a UK leader of manufacturing Automation Assembly Systems, Assembly Tooling, Special Purpose Machinery and Multi-Robotic Turnkey Systems. Building lasting relationships with customers is a cornerstone of the business. Their philosophy is to evaluate its customers’ requirements by thoroughly examining the complete production environment and delivering a solution that takes account of production capacity, manning levels, payback, future production requirements, material handling, maintenance requirements and any other factors that can affect clients’ production. EXTA offers solutions to the automotive, aerospace, powertrain, pharma, food & beverage in the automation sectors combined with automation in the build of Modular housing sectors. They are a highly respected engineering supplier that operates on a global scale. To build their industrial-grade tooling solutions, EXTA needs a wide variety of jigs and fixtures for their assembly line. These tools can be problematic — for each tool, engineers have to repeat the painstaking process of generating 2D detail drawings, producing manufacturing guidelines, and communicating with third-party CNC contractors.

EXTA discovered Markforged and realized that they could 3D print functional jigs and fixtures using continuous fiber reinforced Onyx. Markforged technology enables their engineers to bypass the painful part procurement process and design truly optimized tools. This tool was originally a multipart machined assembly that had to be manually assembled using dowel pins and screws. With 3D printing, they were able to consolidate the tool into a single part. Now, they can turn out assembly jigs like this faster, more easily, and far more cost-effectively than ever before.