Custom In-ear Products

In-ear Products

Advanced Communications Solutions (ACS) are based in Oxfordshire, UK, and they specialize in ear protection and in-ear monitoring solutions.

Their in ear protection products cover a range of environmental uses (mostly aimed at musicians and sound engineers) ranging from gentle acoustic sets in small clubs, to large amplified stadium shows , industrial environments such as loud factories and there’s even an option for those who use shooting ranges.

Their in-ear monitoring solutions are similarly aimed towards musicians, and come in a range of options for artists who would like to actually hear themselves playing on stage, in glorious high fidelity audio.

The soft part of the ear defender and the monitor (the bit that you squish into your ear) is made from silicone rubber, for a comfortable, sealing fit.

Prototype and Production

Thanks to the rapid turnaround time of their AM system (the 3D Systems Figure 4 Standalone), ACS utilizes AM not just in the bespoke squidgy parts of their custom production ranges, but also for development and prototyping.

To manufacture the silicone parts, ACS uses eggshell casting, where they use the Figure 4 system with the EGGSHELL-AMB 10 material to create a thin mould for injecting the silicone into. When the silicone is set, the mould is simply peeled off like an eggshell.

Of course, the power of AM allows the engineers to print complicated internal features for the moulded parts which would be close to impossible with traditional machining.

The 3D model below shows the internal channels in-situ of the mould, which reduces the need for machining these additional features (such as fastener holes/wire harness ducts) later on.

ACS has also made use of their Figure 4 system for the testing and production of structural elements too. Items such as brackets, fasteners, as well as enclosures printed with ease, and with additional features such as threads, as you can see in the image below. These threaded widgets were printed with the Figure 4 PRO-BLK 10 material, which is a production-grade material with thermoplastic-like behavior and long term environmental stability.

“We can now print geometries inside the silicone molds, whereas before we would have to drill it all out by hand,” said Dan Bennett, technical director at ACS Custom. “What’s more, the dimensional accuracy of the Figure 4 printer ensures we don’t need to do as many iterations or build tolerances into the parts.”

Speedy

With their AM setup, the company has seen measurable improvements to the speed of their workflows.

“Speed is one of the best things about these printers,” said Bennett. “It allows me to do five or six revisions in a day if I need to, rather than waiting hours for a single print job as I’ve experienced on other systems.”

Given the pace that innovation occurs here in Industry 4.0, additive manufacturing can definitely help a company keep a nimble and responsive approach to new design challenges (or rivals).

“Thanks to the 3D technology we’re using, we’re at the forefront of our industry. It allows us to keep ahead of the competition by innovating and creating new products.”