Cutting Tooling Costs: How 3D Printing Transformed Centerline’s Press Brake Tooling

About Centerline

Centerline Engineered Solutions (CES) is a contract‑engineering and fabrication shop located in Greenwood, South Carolina. With a 30‑year legacy that began in textile manufacturing and expanded into the electrical and consumer‑product sectors, CES has consistently delivered high‑quality, efficient solutions. President Phil Vickery, a lifelong South Carolinian, joined CES about a year ago and has steered the company toward greater cost‑efficiency while building deep client trust.

Facing the Tooling Cost Challenge

In a job shop environment, profitability hinges on two factors: delivering affordable services and earning client loyalty. Low‑volume parts often make tooling costs prohibitive, forcing CES to decline jobs that could not cover the required fixtures. Determined to break this cycle, Phil explored innovative alternatives and acquired a Mark Two 3D printer from Markforged.

First Successful Test: 3D‑Printed Forming Fixtures

Within a month of the Mark Two’s arrival, Phil tested its potential by producing a 14‑gauge stainless‑steel part that a customer needed in small quantity. The part required precise lancing and forming that a press brake could achieve only with a custom punch and die. Phil laser‑cut four formable regions, then used the Mark Two to print the corresponding fixtures. To ensure structural integrity, he inserted 14‑gauge steel inserts midway through the print, reinforcing the critical forming features without adding complexity.

Phil attached the printed tooling to a Trumpf press brake and lanced the part with no breakage. The fixture met all customer depth specifications, proving that the 3D‑printed punch and die could withstand real‑world forming loads.

A New Age of Tooling

The Mark Two has empowered CES engineers to design, prototype, and fabricate tooling with unprecedented speed and precision. Phil now states, “I can take a CAD drawing, print a fixture, and have it ready for production in half the time it used to take.” The result is lower tooling costs, faster turnaround, and increased job acceptance rates—all while maintaining profit margins.

Initially skeptical, CES’s machinists and engineers embraced the technology after witnessing the tangible benefits. Today, they actively propose 3D‑printed solutions for new parts, trusting Phil’s vision that technology should enhance their workflow.

Want to learn more about the Centerline story? Check out this Case Study.

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