Infocenter.3d Systems

[Kizzy Burnworth]

3Dprinting technology is a so-called \"additive manufacturing\" process. Instead of cutting or hollowing out pieces of metal or plastic, a 3D printer reads a digital blueprint and releases materials following a series of instructions.

Today, 3D printing adoption has hit the point of critical mass. Initially it was only useful for prototyping and one-off production, but it is now quickly evolving into a solid manufacturing technology.

The capabilities of 3D printing technology are rapidly developing, especially when it comes to the range of materials that can be used, which now even include copper. Parts can be produced with greater accuracy and more refined details, at faster speeds and lower costs.

These advancements have taken the technology to a tipping point. It is poised to move beyond its niche position and become a competitive alternative to traditional production methods in a growing range of applications.

Many companies will be able to regain more control of their production processes by lowering their dependence on suppliers. For instance, access to an industrial 3D printer allows a company in the business of producing agricultural equipment to prototype and test new parts independently.

This would not only accelerate time-to-market, but also considerably reduce supply chain risks. A reduction of steps within a supply chain results in lower risks of a 3rd party not delivering on time. As long as you have the raw materials necessary to produce an object, you can use a 3D printer to create the product. This enables manufacturers to save money and improve the accuracy of custom parts.

In terms of inventory and distribution, additive manufacturing enables producers to print on demand, thus potentially reducing the need for warehouses. The volume of products stacked on shelves could be cut down considerably.

Furthermore, additive manufacturing circumvents much of the limitations of the conventional supply chain model, which is based on mass production efficiencies, the demand for low-cost labor, and real estate for each step of the process.

Instead, 3D printing creates small batches of customer-specific products with much greater complexity than is feasible with conventional methods. That way, it effectively reduces the need for large manufacturing plants.

Speed is critical in manufacturing, particularly if large-scale output is the goal. However, many current industrial 3D printers often lag behind conventional mechanized machines in speed and performance. This obstacle still acts as a barrier to 3D printing's adoption in mass-production sectors like automobiles and consumer products.

Another set of challenges concern industry-wide standards. Standards are critical in manufacturing, since they define the conditions needed to produce a reliable product. While 3D printing has been around for more than 30 years, the industrial world only recently started recognising it as a viable production process. As a result, the sector has just recently begun to establish production-relevant and industry-wide standards.

Creating good products is an important step towards success, but proving that they are good is another. If producers cannot verify the quality of their products against industry standards, 3D printing for manufacturing often becomes unviable and risky. Standards allow the manufacturing of parts that can be sold widely and used safely in production.

One of the most important use cases of 3D printing could be healthcare. Major breakthroughs can potentially be achieved not only in the development of instruments in the dental, orthopaedic, and acoustic sectors, but also when it comes to 3D printing of tissues, organs, and even bones. Manufacturing Today sees a lot of potential for hospitals, for example, which could make \"everything from stents and bandages to casts and even surgical instruments\" quickly. This would \"prevent hospitals from running out of vital supplies,\" something that can be of huge importance during the current pandemic and later.

Another area which could benefit greatly is the construction industry, which would be able to use 3D printers to produce custom building parts quickly. In New York, there's even already a fully 3D-printed house for sale. The company which built the house can set up its autonomous robotic construction system at a site in six to eight hours, according to CNN.

Europe currently leads the automotive 3D printing industry due to the large number of manufacturers who invest a significant portion of their revenues in R&D. With a share of more than 35 per cent, the automotive sector in Germany alone accounts for the majority of R&D investment.

With this growth trajectory, 3D printing could play a vital role in the next industrial revolution. Once the large-scale deployment of 3D printing in core industrial sectors advances further, future supply chains will look dramatically different.

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