3D Printed Jigs and Fixtures: Moval's UltiMaker S8 Case Study

A single gauge once took 6 hours 34 minutes to print. It now takes 1 hour 49 minutes. The headline result comes from Moval, an Italian manufacturer of custom hot-forged brass components, after upgrading from the UltiMaker S5 PRO Bundle to the new UltiMaker S8. The 25-person operation supplies the hydraulic, automotive, and welding industries across Europe. With full in-house production from design to CNC machining, the team had been chasing a faster, lower-cost route to jigs, fixtures, and functional tooling. 3D printed jigs and fixtures gave them the answer.

Why Moval brought 3D printed jigs and fixtures in-house

External tooling was eating into margin and lead times. Outsourced jigs took weeks. Each design tweak meant another round trip, another invoice, another delay on the shop floor. So Moval's technical engineer, Emanuele Maccarinelli, brought the work in-house with the UltiMaker S8.

Data security was non-negotiable. Moval has more than 30 years of design IP across multiple sensitive industries. STL files and design data sit at the heart of those records. Emanuele chose UltiMaker because of its EU data protection alignment as much as its print quality. The decision was a procurement call as much as a production one.

"We haven't found an application we couldn't print with UltiMaker S8."

After years on the S5 PRO Bundle, Moval moved up the S-series. The S8 brought the speed, surface finish, and material range needed to scale beyond prototyping into shop-floor tooling.

From the UltiMaker S5 PRO Bundle to the S8

The first proof point was a green PLA gauge used to verify part dimensions. On the older bundle, the print took 6 hours 34 minutes. On the S8, it took 1 hour 49 minutes. Same shape, same accuracy, finished without post-processing.

The gain came from the new UltiMaker Cheetah motion planner. Moval reports the surface finish improved enough to skip secondary work entirely. For shops weighing UltiMaker S8 case study results against their own throughput, this is the spec to track: more iterations per shift, more design tweaks per week, no extra labour at the bench. The single change is the kind of return Australian buyers chase when they look at the same upgrade path.

Production-floor parts in TPU 95A and PET CF

Moval did not stop at PLA gauges. Two material choices show how UltiMaker S8 jigs and fixtures replace traditional tooling on the line.

The first is gasket covers for air pistons, printed in TPU 95A. The flexible material gives a precise fit, improving both sealing and protection. CNC tooling would not have produced the same geometry without major cost.

The second is a wear-resistant jig in blue PET CF. The part lives in constant contact with machinery, so material choice was the deciding factor. Carbon-fibre reinforced PET handles abrasion without warping or wearing out under load.

"With 3D printing, we could follow exactly the shape of the part that we want."

These are not novelty prints. They are production-floor parts running every shift. The pivot is from prototyping toy to manufacturing tool.

An end-to-end UltiMaker workflow

Cura. Digital Factory. One ecosystem. Moval slices designs in UltiMaker Cura, stores STL files in UltiMaker Digital Factory, and manages print queues across the same dashboard. Every step happens inside one tested loop. No file conversion, no third-party slicer, no vendor sprawl.

Local reseller support filled in the rest. Moval's Italian reseller, Manufat, advised on material selection, ran technical training, and supported the team through the upgrade. Australian 3D Printers plays the same role for Australian manufacturers, from quote and configuration through training and warranty.

For wider context on UltiMaker performance in European production, the S7 helped Heineken cut costs and lift safety at its Seville plant, set out in our Heineken Seville case study. Apria Systems uses the UltiMaker S6 for environmental component production, covered in our Apria Systems case study.

What this means for Australian manufacturers

In-house 3D printing manufacturing strips out the slowest links in the tooling chain. International freight. Customs clearance. Currency swings on small parts orders. Every one of those costs disappears when a shop prints its own jigs. For Australian buyers, the gap is wider than for European buyers, because the freight chain is longer.

3D printed manufacturing tools also flex with design changes. A revision needing a new CNC setup runs as a five-minute file edit. Run it overnight. Use it the next morning. The UltiMaker S8 and the UltiMaker S8 Pro Bundle sit at the centre of the UltiMaker range for the workload.

Frequently asked questions

What is the UltiMaker S8 used for at Moval?

Moval prints jigs, fixtures, dimensional gauges, gasket covers, and other production-floor tooling on the S8. The parts replace traditionally machined tooling and run every shift on the shop floor.

How much faster is the UltiMaker S8 than the S5 PRO Bundle?

On the same green PLA gauge, print time dropped from 6 hours 34 minutes to 1 hour 49 minutes. The new UltiMaker Cheetah motion planner drives the gain.

What materials did Moval use for jigs and fixtures?

Three materials covered the use cases shown: PLA for dimensional gauges, TPU 95A for flexible gasket covers, and PET CF for wear-resistant jigs in constant contact with machinery.

Why does data security matter for 3D printing?

STL files carry the same IP risk as engineering drawings. Moval chose UltiMaker partly because EU data protection rules govern the platform. Manufacturers in regulated sectors need a full audit trail before sending design files to any cloud workflow.

Are the UltiMaker S8 and Pro Bundle available in Australia?

Yes. Australian 3D Printers ships the UltiMaker S8 and the S8 Pro Bundle nationally. Pricing, training, and warranty support are handled locally.

How do 3D printed jigs and fixtures compare with CNC-machined ones?

3D printed parts win on lead time, design flexibility, and cost for low-volume tooling. CNC still wins on metal parts under heavy mechanical load. For most jigs, fixtures, and gauges in plastic-compatible roles, additive manufacturing jigs are now the default choice.

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3D Printer 3D Printer Australia 3D Printers additive manufacturing Case Study Jigs and Fixtures Manufacturing rapid manufacturing UltiMaker UltiMaker S8