How can enterprises quantify the ROI of printing parts compared to traditional processes?

一, Cost Dimension: Looking at "Whole Life Cycle Cost" and "Single Item Cost" side by side
1. Direct cost comparison: the cost of the mold and the rate at which materials are used
Two common ways to make things that are pricey to start are injection molding and CNC machining. The cost of molds can be more than half of the total cost for small-scale production. For example, the mold for creating 100 plastic parts using standard injection molding costs between 50,000 and 200,000 yuan. Making them with 3D printing (SLS nylon) costs only 50 yuan each, which is only 1/10 of the cost of the old way. CNC machining also loses 50% to 70% of the material, while 3D printing uses additive manufacturing, which wastes less than 5% of the material. This makes the cost of materials even cheaper.
2. Hidden cost mining: the cycle of getting and sending goods
Businesses that use traditional handicrafts have to have a lot of stock on hand and spend a lot of money because of the "minimum order quantity" (MOQ). More than 15% of small-scale industry's overall costs come from spending on inventory backlogs, according to statistics. 3D printing also allows for "production to order," which speeds up the turnover of inventory by more than 20%. For example, a company that develops medical devices used 3D printing to shorten the time it takes to bring out new products from three months to two weeks. This caused the order conversion rate to go up by 200% and saved a lot of money on indirect costs.
3. A model for the cost of the full life cycle
The first costs include buying 3D printing equipment, paying for software licenses, and making the workplace better.
Costs of running a business include training employees, buying materials, paying for electricity, and keeping equipment in good shape.
Indirect expenses include costs for handling inventory, shipping, and modifying the design.
For example, let's take a look at a certain car parts business:
Craftsmanship in the past: The overall cost is 200,000 yuan for the mold, 30 yuan for each piece, and 30 × 5000 = 350,000 yuan. Printing in 3D: The equipment loses 100,000 yuan every year, and each component costs 80 yuan. So the total cost is 100,000 + 80 × 5000 = 500,000 yuan.
When we consider about how much it costs to alter the design (old methods need 20,000 yuan for each mould repair, but 3D printing only needs to change the digital model), 3D printing will be cheaper than traditional methods when there are three or more design iterations.
二, Efficiency dimension: from "production cycle" to "response speed"
1. Time cost comparison: going from "weekly level" to "daily level"
It can take 4 to 8 weeks to make traditional crafts since you have to design the mold, process it, try it out, and make revisions. With 3D printing, it can take as little as 24 hours to move from design files to final products. For example, a company that creates consumer electronics utilizes 3D printing to make phone cover prototypes and tests five different versions in one day. It takes a few days to do traditional CNC machining.
2. Increasing the equipment's overall efficiency (OEE)
The main technique to find out how well equipment is working is to use OEE. To figure it out, use the following formula: OEE = availability x performance efficiency x quality index.
Craftsmanship that has been around for a long time: Low availability is caused by changing the mold on the equipment, downtime due to problems, and parts that are hard to work with. Processing demands a lot of process linkages, which slows down performance and efficiency;
You don't have to change molds for 3D printing, and equipment is almost always available. With multi-laser head parallel printing technology, performance is 3 to 5 times greater.
When a certain aerospace company started adopting metal 3D printing, it cut the time it required to create engine blades from 6–8 hours to 2 hours. This increased OEE by 40%, which in turn increased yearly production capacity by 30%.
三,Risk Dimension: From "Design Freeze" to "Flexible Iteration," control
1. Find out how much it will cost to change the design
You have to reopen or adjust the molds every time you change a design utilizing traditional craftsmanship. This costs between 10,000 and 50,000 yuan and takes an extra week or two. You just need to alter the digital model for 3D printing, and each new version costs almost nothing. For example, a company that develops medical equipment uses 3D printing to make custom surgical guides with more than ten design alterations. If you use standard ways, it will cost you more than 100,000 yuan merely to repair the mold.
2. Protecting against risks in the supply chain
Global supply channels are vital for making traditional handicrafts. For instance, during the pandemic, one vehicle maker had to wait three months for parts to be shipped because mold suppliers in other countries were unavailable. 3D printing makes it possible for firms to set up printing centers in markets close to their customers. This is called "distributed production." This makes delivery faster and decreases the dangers of shipping. For example, one company was able to minimize shipping time from 45 days to 72 hours by using 3D printing to make ventilator parts in-house.
四, Strategic Value Dimension: Changing from "Cost Center" to "Profit Engine"
1. Brand value and consumer satisfaction
With 3D printing, you can make small batches of unique items that are perfect for each buyer. A certain fast-moving consumer goods firm employed 3D printing to combine client behavior data, which made marketing operations more profitable, going from a return on investment (ROI) of 1:3 to 1:7. A high-end custom vehicle firm employs 3D printing to make unique metal decorative elements. These parts cost 20% more than other parts.
2. Making the world a more competitive place
3D printing can make data interfaces and bring in partners from both upstream and downstream to make a closed loop in the environment. For example, one e-commerce site has seen a 40% increase in the number of transactions it does each year by sharing 3D printing data with its suppliers. Another aircraft business has linked 200 suppliers to 3D printing, which has made working together in the supply chain 30% more efficient.
五,The ROI Decision Tool: A Three-Step Screening Process
Do we have to tweak the design a lot? If so, pick 3D printing. If the expected production is less than 1000 pieces, use 3D printing. If the structure is intricate, choose 3D printing.
Calculation of the cost critical point:
Find out how much of the costs of the mold go to each item in the usual way;
Compare the cost of 3D printing one piece against the cost of the equipment losing value.
Find the point where you break even. For example, 3D printing is cheaper than earlier methods if the output is at least 96 pieces.
Putting a value on strategy:
Give things that can't be assessed, such customer happiness, brand premium, and supply chain risk, a number or score (for example, 1–5 points). 3D printing will be given precedence if the strategic value score is 3 points or above.