If you aren’t taking advantage of additive manufacturing (AM) yet, it’s very likely that you should be.
Additive manufacturing and AM technologies continuously improve and expand every day. AM technology is becoming less costly and more efficient due to its’ massive market expansion. New materials used for AM create parts that rival, and often exceed, the properties of those more traditionally made. Take a look at the growing list of reasons that you should be taking advantage of AM benefits.
1. The Cost of Entry is Falling
Unlike other manufacturing methods, additive manufacturing doesn’t require a big upfront capital investment. The cost of entry for AM has fallen and is still continuing to fall. Industrial-quality printers are affordable and so are the common materials. Of course, specialized methods and materials cost more, but for most needs, it’s easy to get into the game. (Also, additive manufacturing will save you a lot of money in the long run).
2. Save on Material Waste and Energy
The core definition of 3D printing is methodically adding material until a part is created. The process starts with laying down a base layer of material and then adding subsequent layers until the part is complete. You may need to file off burrs or supports that hold up the part during printing, but the overall waste is minimal. Consolidating parts for manufacturing also tends to save energy and material costs.
Several parts nested in a single print tray assembly save on time and material costs.
3. Prototyping Costs Much Less
All thanks to additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping is now even easier than ever on your time and monetary budgets. The expense of an AM prototype is comparatively cheaper than a majority of other methods. The savings add up as you test iterations using additive manufacturing. Make the necessary design adjustments, print a new part, and you have near-instant proof (or not) that your updated design meets the requirements.
4. Small Production Runs Often Prove Faster and Less Expensive
If you need an extremely large number of a single, basic part – it might be worthwhile to set up a mold. However, if you require only a handful of the same part, it’s most likely much faster to print them. Gather design files, printers, and material, and you’re all set. For lower quantity product runs, almost nothing beats additive manufacturing for speed and economy. Small-batch manufacturers have a lot to gain with AM.
5. You Don’t Need as Much On-Hand Inventory
Traditional manufacturing tends to stick you with a warehouse full of pre-made parts to draw from when you need replacements. If you have a recall or eventually produce a better design, those old parts turn to scrap.
Additive manufacturing allows you to have a virtual inventory. You keep the part information in the cloud throughout the product lifecycle and then print on demand. This removes the need for warehouse space, personnel, and piles of obsolete parts. Your CFO will thank you.
6. Easily Recreate and Optimize Legacy Parts
Speaking of old warehouses…what if yours doesn’t have that legacy part you need? Worse, the machines that manufactured the part went out to pasture years ago. Loss of customer trust can impact repeat sales and loyalty.
Additive manufacturing will save you. As long as you have the specs or files (remember that cloud PLM?), you can almost certainly recreate it in a 3D printer. Moving toward a virtual part inventory lets you more quickly phase out the old physical inventory.
7. Improve Part Reliability
As long as you’re recreating those old parts, now may be a good time to revisit your material options. New polymers, metals, and composites become available for additive manufacturing every year. Now, you can replace a regrettable part with something stronger. Simply recreate a more reliable part as needed and save on future support calls and rework costs.
8. Consolidate an Assembly into a Single Part
Traditional, complex parts require more manufacturing steps, along with additional labor and material costs. The time to create and assemble parts is longer, and it increases inventory. There’s a better way. With additive manufacturing, you can print the assembly as a single piece, saving money and time from start to finish.
9. It Uniquely Supports New AI-Driven Design Methods
Design engineers are now using artificial intelligence-driven generative design to create products. You simply set the constraints for a part – such as dimensions, materials, and manufacturing method. Then, the technology suggests a number of designs that meet those requirements. As a result, designers spend less time iterating on the perfect design, and more time engineering and focusing on other aspects of the project. Because additive manufacturing can easily produce organic shapes, the generative design engine can make suggestions for designs few of us would have thought of on our own—while still conforming to specs.
10. It Uniquely Supports Lattice Structures
Lattices like dragonfly wings are lightweight, strong, and difficult to create with traditional manufacturing methods. However, additive manufacturing uniquely supports lattice structures that are intricate, tough, and use less material. For single, solid pieces, injection molding does the trick – but it breaks down when lattices are introduced. Machining can also work, but the cost is prohibitive when you need to remove material from multiple angles.
Additive manufacturing wins the day, especially when used alongside the AI-driven technologies mentioned above. Paired together, they create reinforced parts and assemblies with minimal weight and material costs. That ultimately saves you money both in the creation and support down the road.
For more information on Additive Manufacturing, please visit: https://www.visible-edge.com/technology-worldwide-integration/3d-printers/
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