KSK: More than 16,000 functional parts in three years thanks to metal 3D printing

KSK Precise Motion, a. s. manufactures ball screws and linear motion systems for industrial applications. In 2023, it decided to invest in its own metal 3D printing technology so that it could efficiently manufacture complex parts in small and medium-sized batches.

Today, the 3D printer operates as a standard part of the production process. In over three years of operation, it has produced approximately 16,000 finished parts, which are fitted directly into customers’ products.

Challenge: high part variability and complex geometry

KSK offers a wide range of ball screws in numerous combinations of dimensions and parameters. Each variant requires a specific drive mechanism to ensure the balls circulate within the nut.

Conventional manufacturing was, in many cases, technologically complex or economically unviable. Mould production was not viable, particularly for smaller batches, and certain geometries could not be machined efficiently.

“Thanks to 3D printing, we are able to design a converter precisely to the specific dimensions we need. We can also produce individual parts cost-effectively, which simply wouldn’t have been viable for us before.”

Mojmír Pekárek, Head of the Technical Department at KSK
 

Solution: mass production of end components

Originally, the technology was acquired primarily for specialised applications and prototyping. Gradually, however, it has become a fully-fledged production tool.

Today, approximately 98 per cent of the printer’s output consists of ball screw converters. These are not prototypes, but final functional parts intended directly for mass production.

The most common print runs are between 16 and 25 pieces, although some print jobs contain more than 100 parts at a time.

“We didn’t expect there to be so many. We gradually designed several series of converters, which are now manufactured exclusively using 3D printing. As a result, production volume has increased significantly.”

Mojmír Pekárek, Head of the Technical Department at KSK
 

Design freedom and rapid development

The converters contain complex three-dimensional channels and geometries that would be very difficult or completely impossible to produce by machining.

Thanks to additive manufacturing, designers can design parts according to their function, rather than the limitations of the manufacturing technology. The same equipment can also be used for developing new products and validating design concepts.

KSK therefore utilises metal 3D printing for both prototyping and day-to-day series production.

The result: a productive manufacturing technology

In over three years of operation, the printer has produced:

• more than 16,000 finished parts
• more than 570 kg of printed material
• hundreds to thousands of individual types of transducers
• parts intended directly for final products

In addition to the manufacturing itself, the technology also offers greater flexibility. KSK can respond quickly to new requirements, develop new designs and produce parts that could not be manufactured economically using other methods.

The case of KSK demonstrates that 3D metal printing is no longer merely a tool for prototyping. When applied correctly, it can become a fully-fledged manufacturing technology for day-to-day mass production.

Would you like to find out whether metal 3D printing is suitable for your manufacturing operations?

Every application is different. That’s why we help our customers assess when metal 3D printing makes economic and technical sense – from prototyping right through to the mass production of final parts.

Get in touch. Together, we’ll explore the potential of your application and recommend the most suitable technology and production process.