Metal AM Cuts Sprinkler Tool Cycle Time — Xact Metal XM200G Powers Irrigation Manufacturer

K-Rain, a manufacturer of sprinkler and irrigation systems, has adopted metal additive manufacturing to solve tooling challenges in its sprinkler production process.

The company deployed Xact Metal's XM200G metal 3D printer alongside Uddeholm Corrax steel to manufacture mould inserts for underground sprinkler tooling. The application showcases how AM is being used not just for end-use parts, but to improve the traditional tooling that goes into mass production.

Tooling as aAM Opportunity

While many manufacturers adopting AM aim to eliminate tooling entirely, the technology also offers opportunities to improve the tools themselves. Complex cooling channels, conformal geometries, and optimized lattices can reduce cycle times and extend tool life in ways traditional machining cannot achieve.

K-Rain's adoption of the XM200G system for sprinkler mould inserts demonstrates this second pathway — using AM to create better tools rather than to replace tooling altogether.

Xact Metal's XM200G is a relatively compact metal PBF system designed for industrial applications. The use of Uddeholm Corrax, a martensitic precipitation-hardening stainless steel, provides good corrosion resistance and thermal conductivity suitable for injection moulding applications.