Since 2020, the theme of provide chain has dominated additive manufacturing (AM). In flip, we’ve devoted many column inches and convention periods to the know-how’s deployment as an answer to pandemic-related challenges, and the longer-term implications of its obvious heightened adoption. Two years later, it’s nonetheless prime of thoughts, and with rising use instances, information, and authorities involvement, it’s not exhibiting any indicators of disappearing.
At this yr’s TCT 3Sixty convention, a panel of specialists together with the College of Bristol’s Jennifer Johns, Boston Consulting Group’s Wilderich Heising, and Equinor’s Pantea Khanshaghaghi, mentioned the “transformation” that’s occurring round AM in provide chain. Whereas it was prompt that AM functions throughout the pandemic confirmed “the beginnings of a utopian excellent” the place AM steps in to resolve our provide chain woes, the widespread narrative throughout trade, academia, and end-users, was the cruciality of understanding when and the way to implement the know-how, and lengthening that information to the appropriate individuals.
“Making an attempt to do that prime down and saying, this is my catalogue of 150,000 SKUs, let’s exit and begin making issues utilizing 3D printing – that may break individuals,” Len Pannett, Provide Chain and Operations Transformation knowledgeable and creator of ‘Supercharg3d: How 3D Printing Will Drive Your Provide Chain’, instructed TCT. “The opposite half, after all, is that for those who attempt to do it that method, the remainder of the worth chain will not be prepared. To make use of an additive strategy wants a special method of doing procurement, it wants a special method of doing contracting. In some instances, it wants qualification of these suppliers, as a lot as you’d every other provider. You additionally have to persuade the engineering groups that the standard of what they’ll get is a minimum of pretty much as good as going the normal route.
“The robust nut to crack just isn’t the engineering, it is the info aspect, it is how do you determine which of your 150,000 SKUs is sensible to go down this route? And that requires far more than simply doing bodily assessments and the evaluation of bodily traits. It means additionally trying on the provide chain traits.”
Pannett affords Deutsche Bahn up for example of an organization that has efficiently demonstrated “the artwork of what’s doable” for AM in provide chain. Maybe one of the well-known adopters of AM for spare elements manufacturing, the corporate depends on a mixture of in-house 3D printing capabilities and repair suppliers, primarily, to supply polymer and metallic parts for the railway sector, from rail stops to hand-rail indicators that includes braille. Cosmetics big L’Oreal is one other, and is at the moment utilizing HP’s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) to create adjustable parts for its packaging manufacturing line with plans to additional leverage the know-how through HP’s World Manufacturing Community to “construct a really international provide chain” that may allow extra localised manufacture.
“The usage of additive manufacturing, notably in a hybrid configuration with different applied sciences, permits us to react extraordinarily shortly to provide chain fluctuations,” Matthew Forrester, Head of Transformation & Recycling Science at L’Oreal, instructed TCT. “Empowered groups, deploying their intimate information of producing processes, integrating the specificity of our items, and even iterating throughout manufacturing, is the right mixture to create best-in-class, agile tooling.”
Case research #1: Take one make one
Manufacturing service supplier Azoth is utilising 3D printing applied sciences to assist its Take One Make One (TOMO) digital stock technique. Via TOMO, Azoth empowers its customers to transform bodily stock to digital stock and produce elements as wanted with out a minimal order amount to justify up-front tooling or setup prices. When X variety of elements are taken out of stock, the identical quantity are made to interchange them. Azoth considers this to be the leanest provide chain doable.
The corporate has proved out this idea by deploying Desktop Steel’s binder jet Store System to additively manufacture bolt placement grippers which can be put in onto a robotic arm to choose and place bolts on an meeting line. Utilizing the Store System, Azoth is in a position to produce 1,400 of those end-use elements per day in 17-4PH. 3D printing is deployed due to the parts’ intricate enamel design.
“These grippers are the right TOMO instance,” commented Cody Cochran, co-founder and Common Supervisor of Azoth. “They’re more economical with binder jetting and will be delivered with a ten-day turnaround vs an eight-week lead time.”
Becoming in
Whereas examples like this from main manufacturers and producers present promise, simply how a lot is AM actually being talked about with reference to provide chain outdoors of the AM bubble? In accordance with Mark Cotteleer, Managing Director – Provide Chain and Operations Consulting Deloitte, “loads.”
“We’re seeing throughout our shopper base each within the public sector and within the non-public sector, I’d say, an upsurge in dialogue,” Cotteleer instructed TCT. “And that has loads to do with the truth that additive manufacturing is, for my part, the quintessential instance of digitally distributed manufacturing. What which means is that it brings collectively all of the fascinating attributes of digital distributed manufacturing; the flexibility to interact within the model-based enterprise, the flexibility to work throughout the provision base and distribute manufacturing to the purpose of demand on the time of demand, to herald concepts round issues like digital thread and digital twin, that are highly regarded matters. Additive just isn’t the one answer. There are many options and we advocate that our purchasers take a portfolio strategy to it.”
It is true, additive just isn’t the one answer, and generally, it’s not the appropriate one both. It’s about discovering that candy spot, creating a enterprise case, and as our TCT 3Sixty panellists agreed, selecting when to use it, whether or not that’s on a everlasting foundation or as an emergency cease hole in occasions of disaster. The latter, a extra short-term outlook, would possibly sound like a damaging for an trade that seems to be confidently going after provide chain, however for Cotteleer, that’s truly its USP.
“To me, that is a function not a bug,” Cotteleer defined. “Within the sense that one of many core worth propositions of additive is surging manufacturing on the level of demand, geographically and in time. Can we ship manufacturing the place we’d like it, after we want it?”
He notes the work Deloitte carried out with America Makes throughout the pandemic on the Superior Manufacturing Disaster Manufacturing Response (AM CPR) initiative which acted as a digital stockpile of designs that might be surged into manufacturing when and the place the purpose of want materialised. It wasn’t nearly COVID-related challenges both and the collaborators ran a number of eventualities – what occurs if a provider goes down or an earthquake hits, for instance? – making an allowance for the various gamers throughout that provide chain, from designers to regulators and so forth.
In September, Deloitte issued a report in partnership with the Producers Alliance taking a look at how conventional manufacturing provide chains are evolving to stability prices, effectivity, and resilience. Whereas the time period ‘additive manufacturing’ is referenced simply as soon as within the 26-page doc, in a chart exhibiting the largest affect on producer’s provide chains, the highest three responses – transport delays (59%), half shortages (56%) and transportation delays (56%) – are key areas the place the advantages of AM really shine. But whereas additive’s worth proposition as an enabler of distributed, on-demand manufacturing is obvious, challenges stay.
“The entire previous issues nonetheless exist: high quality, supplies, price, repeatability,” Cotteleer mentioned. “I believe what’s altering is that, whereas the priority exists, most of the technical options are more and more accessible so individuals must be continuously revisiting the state-of-the-art as a result of issues are altering fairly quickly. There are situations the place we’re seeing individuals fairly successfully having the ability to distribute manufacturing, significantly on the decrease finish. On the increased finish, with unique supplies and really costly machines and really high-end makes use of, we nonetheless see, and in reality advocate, extra centralised manufacturing fashions, however even there, you may nonetheless resolve the time downside, you are simply not fixing the placement downside.”
Apparently, that singular nod to AM in Deloitte’s report ties into one other trade pattern: mergers and acquisitions. The report notes the sturdy M&A exercise in manufacturing with 52% year-on-year progress in such offers in 2021, and suggests some situations of vertical integration will be seen as a instrument for reaching provide chain resilience. For example, earlier this yr, aerospace and defence producer Safran, which not too long ago opened a brand new devoted 3D printing campus, accomplished its acquisition of metallic AM powder provider Aubert & Duval, bringing its provide of metallic powders in home. It’s an excessive instance, and bringing AM into your provide chain doesn’t essentially imply investing in a whole firm or bringing in costly {hardware}. Manufacturing service suppliers supply an alternate path to sourcing elements on-demand, and Pannett suggests discovering a provider to supply merchandise with the appropriate QA processes already in place as a “very straightforward, fast win.”
Joshua Parker, US 3D Printing Provide Chain Supervisor for Hubs, gives additional perception into the advantages of additive. As an internet manufacturing platform, Hubs gives engineers entry to a community of 3D printing suppliers. The Amsterdam-based firm was acquired by Protolabs in 2021, signalling additional market consolidation in distributed manufacturing. The platform permits customers to add designs, immediately obtain quotes and ship their recordsdata for manufacturing through a community of AM, CNC machining, injection moulding, and sheet metallic fabrication companions. Thus far, the service has manufactured over 7 million elements. As a part of its annual 3D Printing Development Report, Hubs spotlighted extra strong provide chains and localised on-demand manufacture as a very powerful AM traits for 2022.
“As additive turns into extra of a low quantity manufacturing answer, there was elevated curiosity with clients utilizing applied sciences like SLS and HP’s MJF to both present a short-term manufacturing answer or to modify to 3D printing altogether,” Parker instructed TCT. “We’ve seen a whole lot of success within the EV sector, particularly with corporations which can be extremely iterative and progressive and wish to keep nimble with their design. With the elevated lead occasions of going abroad for moulds, 3D printing gives a fast various whereas tooling is being created.”
Case research #2: Circuit board bracket
When Stratasys was first manufacturing its H350 Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF) 3D printers, the corporate bumped into the identical downside many different producers did. APCB Stepper Controller Board had initially been ordered from a provide chain vendor, however as COVID-19 hit, the product was discontinued.
The H350 Manufacturing Staff then determined to utilise a brand new electronics board, which might be sourced simply, however required a mounting bracket to implement a obligatory cooling operate. For the answer, the staff appeared inward and wager on the know-how they had been working to convey to market. With the H350 machine, they designed and printed a circuitboard bracket which may safe the fan to the electronics board after which safely mount the board inside the printer.
The bracket, which doesn’t require any screws or instruments, is claimed to occupy a minimal quantity of area. Stratasys can nest 132 brackets inside the similar construct with a value per a part of 4.15 USD. The corporate has carried out the circuit board bracket in each H350 3D printer and has continued to use SAF know-how to its SAF methods.
“This was a kind of examples that ‘ticked most of the bins of additive manufacturing,’” Neil Hopkinson, VP of AM Expertise at Stratasys, instructed TCT. “The problem arose from provide chain points, which have gotten extra frequent in manufacturing nowadays and the answer got here from AM know-how that really allowed the staff to develop an improved product with simpler meeting. On this occasion, it was very gratifying that SAF know-how itself was the answer for a SAF product growth problem. The staff has since constructed on this and every H350 printer has 30 elements produced by SAF know-how.”
Follow what you print
If 3D printing is the silver bullet in provide chain resilience, are 3D printer producers taking be aware? Megan Liu, Provide Chain Engineer at Formlabs, works inside the international sourcing staff, taking care of provide chain for Formlabs merchandise. Actually, a number of Formlabs machines function a spread of parts manufactured with its personal printers.
“We, I believe, undoubtedly perceive that there’s a good utility for 3D printing in provide chains,” Liu mentioned. “On the similar time, most of our printer just isn’t made out of a 3D printed materials so there are undoubtedly limitations on 3D printing elements for manufacturing. I believe one of the best use instances are actually small elements, by way of geometry, issues that nest nicely in our printers.
“I joined Formlabs as a result of I’m tremendous excited about how we are able to use 3D printing in all several types of industries. It is tremendous thrilling for me to see Formlabs practising what we preach.”
The sourcing staff’s job is basically to seek out suppliers to make and ship elements to its contract producer on time. When Formlabs launched its Type Wash L and Type Treatment L methods throughout the pandemic, for instance, the staff was in a position to mitigate provide chain points and materials delays by ramping up print manufacturing from its supplies manufacturing facility in Ohio and Somerville HQ.
“One thing that has been tremendous thrilling to see is, and I do know that is type of a buzzword, however we’re in a position to decentralise our provide chain somewhat bit by utilizing 3D printing,” Liu mentioned. “If we’re ever brief on parts or issues like that, we are able to use a 3D printer proper on the spot to print parts to maintain manufacturing going.”
Along with a shift in buyer functions, which now transcend prototyping to tooling or manufacturing elements on the Fuse and Type 3L, and prolong to much more industries, Liu says the final few years have additionally produced extra consciousness and curiosity within the know-how. “I believe a whole lot of issues in all probability have contributed to that additional curiosity,” Liu mentioned.
“I believe the know-how has improved and grown loads over the past couple of years, however then additionally COVID with all the provision chain points that introduced was additionally undoubtedly a wake-up name for lots of people who’re counting on conventional manufacturing strategies.”
If the wake-up name was missed the primary time round, the announcement this previous Spring across the Biden Administration’s AM Ahead initiative ought to ring somewhat louder. The initiative was setup to assist the adoption of AM amongst SMEs, with massive producers like Siemens Power, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, GE Aviation and Raytheon, all longtime customers of the know-how, committing to buying additively produced elements from smaller US-based suppliers, offering coaching, and fascinating in widespread requirements growth and certification for additive merchandise. It’s a daring transfer, and emphasises the popularity of additive and distributed, localized manufacturing as instruments to attain provide chain resilience, one thing which Deloitte shares a confidence in.
Cotteleer mentioned: “We’re very bullish on the idea of distributed digital manufacturing and I believe that it’s going to proceed to be vital for provide chain and operations leaders to remain on prime of, and develop methods for the way to deploy these applied sciences in assist of price, high quality, resilience, flexibility, agility – fill within the buzzword – as a result of this, to me, is the way in which the world goes, and for those who’re not incorporating these into your methods, you are very seemingly falling behind.”
Case research #3: Streamlining spare elements
As 3D printing continues to mature, and making use of the know-how for manufacturing grade elements turns into extra of a actuality, Husqvarna has aligned with Quick Radius to implement a complicated manufacturing strategy.
The out of doors product producer has labored with Quick Radius to determine elements that might be produced at scale with Carbon Digital Mild Synthesis and HP Multi Jet Fusion know-how, earlier than establishing a Manufacturing Half Approval Course of (PPAP) that included UV resistance, chemical resistance, and days lengthy cycle assessments, in addition to an analysis of real-world efficiency. As soon as elements go the PPAP, designs and manufacturing specs are saved digitally within the Quick Radius Digital Warehouse, eliminating a whole lot of the provision chain prices related to warehousing, minimal order portions, materials waste and half obsolescence.
From this digital warehouse, elements will be downloaded, produced and shipped in a matter of days, whereas additionally affording Husqvarna and its clients the peace of thoughts that merchandise won’t ever be out of inventory once more. The discount or elimination of fabric waste and half obsolescence can also be supporting Husqvarna’s ‘Sustainovate’ sustainability programme, during which the corporate has outlined CO2 discount targets for the yr 2035.
“For Husqvarna, storing elements within the Digital Warehouse has allowed them to keep away from stock holding price, scrap at finish of life, and has enabled higher buyer assist by eliminating the necessity to discontinue manufacturing of sure spare half SKUs,” Matt Schroeder, Product Supervisor at Quick Radius, instructed TCT.
Talking provide chain
From every of those conversations, it is more and more clear that AM’s success in provide chain additionally depends on sharing these wins and having conversations with the individuals that may make change occur. These already working in or utilizing AM will pay attention to the advantages of on-demand and decentralisation, and Pannett argues AM corporations needs to be placing themselves in entrance of provide chain professionals with the intention to see progress.
“I believe the extra that we are able to do to get the AM group in entrance of provide chain resolution makers, the higher,” Pannett mentioned. “These occasions the place the provision chain guys are going to be uncovered to new concepts, these are those that, I believe, if we will actually peak in our gross sales, need to be included within the roster.”
Having these conversations means having the ability converse the appropriate language, to grasp the wants of these working alongside provide chains, and speaking the place the advantages of AM, which can be lesser identified outdoors of the trade, come into play.
“Phrases matter and I believe it is a common problem within the additive and superior manufacturing area,” Cotteleer mentioned. “And I am going to level no additional than using phrases like digital thread and digital twin, that are essential for the assist of additive manufacturing. We frequently discover ourselves at first of a undertaking or dialogue, actually saying, ‘after we use these phrases,’ fill within the clean, ‘this is what we imply,’ as a result of completely different individuals can ascribe completely different meanings to these phrases.”
Parker provides that it’s vital to place that message throughout early within the procurement course of: “A common lack of schooling and familiarity are the primary causes we see gradual adoption. Our Gross sales and Engineering groups do an excellent job working with the client to grasp their wants and assist corporations steer their design in direction of the ultimate manufacturing methodology. In case you don’t think about 3D printing as a manufacturing methodology throughout design, it may be tougher to alter the manufacturing methodology later within the product design cycle.”
That additionally means educating the appropriate individuals, not simply the engineers who will finally be utilizing the know-how however personnel alongside that worth chain who want to grasp the advantages with the intention to recognise the place and why additive matches, or if it merely doesn’t.
“It is undoubtedly a whole lot of engineering [people] proper now, they’re in all probability essentially the most conscious of this know-how. […] After we discuss to individuals in provide chain, they’re speaking to us about printing spare elements and parts and I believe that undoubtedly makes a whole lot of sense,” Liu concluded, including that there’s a component of curbing expectations and a studying curve round what 3D printing can at the moment do by way of spare elements. “That is, I believe, the place the information hole begins to indicate somewhat bit as a result of I believe they’re actually hoping that 3D printing can resolve all their issues by way of aftermarket elements, spare elements, and issues like that. I believe perhaps there must be somewhat bit extra schooling by way of the interim. Though you probably cannot use 3D printing for this grand answer, there are undoubtedly methods during which 3D printing can assist assist in that transition, maintaining all this extra inventory to printing if you want.”
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