Standard brackets do not fit the machine
Sensors, cameras, valves and actuators need positions that catalogue mounts cannot provide around existing frames and guards.
Industries
Custom parts for automation and special-purpose machinery
Special-purpose machines rarely fit catalogue hardware. Layer Works helps automation and machinery teams design and manufacture application-specific polymer parts for fixtures, mounts, routing and changeover — quickly, and without tooling.
Discuss an automation partCommon problems we see
Change parts are needed for every format
Product or packaging variants require swappable nests, guides and stops that are expensive to machine for every revision.
Line downtime cannot wait on machining
When a fixture or routing part fails, waiting weeks for a machined replacement is often worse than a well-reviewed polymer interim.
The design is still moving
Commissioning and FAT cycles change geometry. FDM supports iteration while the machine layout settles.
Example components
- Assembly fixtures and nests
- Sensor and camera mounts
- Cable and pneumatic routing
- Machine brackets and supports
- Change parts and format components
- Drill guides and alignment tools
- HMI and panel mounts
- Guard and cover prototypes
Why low-volume FDM is relevant
- Quantities are often one-offs or small recurring batches
- Geometry is tied to a specific machine envelope
- Lead time matters more than ultimate material strength for many fixtures
- Variants and revisions are common during commissioning
Where Layer Works adds engineering value
- Review of load path, fastening and print orientation before manufacture
- CAD from sketches, measurements or an existing assembly
- Material advice for workshop heat, oils and handling
- Approved revisions retained for reorder
Relevant materials
Representative applications
Examples of the types of problems we support — not customer case studies unless stated otherwise.
Industrial sensor bracket
Standard extrusion brackets did not place the sensor at the required height, angle or cable exit.
Assembly fixture with printed cradle
The component needed a nest that matched its shape for repeatable clamping without soft-jaw machining delays.
Pneumatic tube routing clamps
Catalogue clips did not match tube count, spacing or T-slot fixing positions.
Sensor mount with cable management
Sensor position and cable routing needed to share one tidy package beside moving equipment.
Linear rail actuator bracket
The actuator needed a stiff bridge across rails with hose clearance that a catalogue bracket could not provide.
Discuss an automation part
Send CAD, a sketch or a short description of the problem.