If you are a small to mid-sized manufacturer, you must have heard of 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM). Additive manufacturing has been hailed as the latest technological revolution in manufacturing, capable of making everything from bicycle seats to rocket thrusters, and promises to make all types of parts and products faster, cheaper, lighter, and more sustainable. 3D printing enables part shapes and designs not possible with any other technology, and uses materials ranging from everyday metals and plastics to unique polymer composites and even human tissue.
Maybe you already know the magic of additive manufacturing and want to give it a try to bring new developments to your business, so your question is: how do you get started with additive manufacturing?
Based on cases and advice shared by some thought leaders in the 3D manufacturing industry and 3D printer manufacturers, the approach to adding 3D printing technology to existing manufacturing operations is divided into the following five steps.
Step 1: Find Additive Manufacturing "Champions"
One of the big hurdles AM advocates will have to overcome is convincing management to replace a company's day-to-day business processes, which may have been around for decades, with something new. The best way to do this is to hire new young engineers or technicians who are not yet fully integrated into the company's day-to-day business processes and are more open to new solutions. For companies that are willing to spearhead the development of an additive manufacturing project by someone who is not yet interested in additive manufacturing, you may want to hire an engineer with additive manufacturing experience. But industry experts agree that the goal is not to put managers in charge of additive manufacturing but to generate more interest in 3D printing.
Then, get more and more people involved in 3D printing through training and education, feel the charm of 3D printing, and engage in additive manufacturing through reading, surfing the Internet, and participating in additive manufacturing events such as Rapid TCT and Formnext. Talking to the university where you work and contacting 3D printer OEMs to get the latest advances in additive manufacturing are all effective ways. When additive manufacturing advocates bring what they have learned to the rest of the company to inspire everyone from machinists to top management to join, it can lead to a dispelling of prejudice about additive manufacturing. The fastest and most impactful way to adopt additive manufacturing is for companies or individuals to fully grasp the potential of the technology and realize all the problems it can solve.
Step 2: Align additive manufacturing goals with company goals
Once you have an additive manufacturing advocate within your organization taking the lead, you can start exploring your additive manufacturing technology and strategize to apply it to your company's top projects. This is a critical step, says Debbra Rogers, chief revenue officer at 3D printer maker Carbon. “Initiative owners or leaders must somehow align additive manufacturing with the company’s overarching goals. We’ve found that when additive manufacturing becomes a special side project or separate from the company’s overall strategy, leaders cannot get support, it doesn’t do anything.” 3D printing is a key enabler for a wide range of company goals, especially among small and mid-sized manufacturers.
Other company goals achieved using 3D printing include:
●Bring new products to market faster with rapid prototyping
●Reduce supply chain crises by producing parts locally
●Produce parts faster and cheaper than overseas
● Eliminate parts inventory with 3D print-on-demand capabilities
●Optimize product performance by incorporating large components into fewer parts
Step 3: Identify the parts you want to 3D print
The worst mistake a manufacturer can make when adopting additive manufacturing is to use it to make the exact same product they are currently making.
Jonah Myerberg, co-founder and CTO of 3D printer maker Desktop Metal, said: "Don't just look at the parts you're making now in a machine shop or foundry and ask 'Can I print them?' You need to look at the parts application and then ask 'Should I 3D print this part or should I improve this part?'"
Additive manufacturing enables manufacturers to redesign parts and products that are lighter, stronger, and better. Multiple parts can be combined into one 3D printed part, eliminating assembly labor and increasing efficiency. At its core, additive manufacturing is a digital process that begins with the digital design of a part. Engineers have to figure out how they will make parts before they start designing, and while additive manufacturing is a new manufacturing process and not something we all learn in school, learning it is no different than learning any other manufacturing process.
Once a company understands the application of 3D printing and finds that additive manufacturing makes sense, they can move their designs to additive manufacturing, and if they find that traditional manufacturing methods are more suitable, they can opt-out of additive manufacturing. It's no easy task to look at what a company is making now and discern if it could be better redesigned and 3D printed. Taking this step may require more knowledge than your additive manufacturing advocates have. That's why industry consultants, application engineers, and 3D printing service providers are always ready to help.
Mature 3D printing products include:
●One-of-a-kind parts, tools, and products
●Parts that require specific customization to meet each customer's requirements
●Single or small batch spare parts
●Part or product prototypes and functional prototypes for testing
Step 4: Outsource Additive Manufacturing
Look for service organizations with extensive experience in additive manufacturing and high-level skills in designing these processes. Some will offer design consulting as a paid service, and while this does mean more upfront costs, the real value is in the experience and the overall shorter lead time of the final product. This approach can accelerate the transition from traditional to additive manufacturing.
The role of 3D printing service providers in driving the adoption of additive manufacturing is very important, these are experts and power users, but whether you use a service provider or bring it in-house has to do with your end goal: are you going to design Additive manufacturing and consume it, or really embrace it and move it forward as part of your business.
If your company's core business is not related to producing parts or products, outsourcing 3D printing may make the best business sense. A confectionery factory is a good example that has the engineering skills to design custom tooling or jigs needed on a factory floor, but the manufacture of the parts themselves may be more suitable for service, which changes as the number of parts increases
Step 5: Improve Your Additive Manufacturing Skills
Even with the guidance of your additive manufacturing advocates, consultants, and printer manufacturers, migrating (or adding) new manufacturing technologies to your business will ultimately require in-house design, engineering, and production expertise. Your employees will need to operate 3D printers as well as post-processing and quality assurance equipment. They need to understand materials specific to additive manufacturing and master the rapidly evolving technologies and new printers on the market. 3D printer manufacturers offer a range of training for companies and general training and are rolling out certification programs for personal printers. Equipment dealers offer training, and more universities offer additive manufacturing master's degree programs and certifications.
It is at this juncture in manufacturing - where additive manufacturing technology is mature enough to have a significant impact across a wide range of industries, but there is still some uncertainty about the vast number of businesses that could benefit the most from it - Biden said. The government has partnered with additive manufacturing industry leaders to launch the AM Forward program in the US. AM Forward aims to initiate an initial investigation into the adoption of additive manufacturing by small and medium-sized manufacturers. This certainly provides another impetus for management to invest in additive manufacturing, which enables engineers to investigate further and will lead to more opportunities for the company.
Convince manufacturing that 3D printing is a proven, viable solution and relieve some of the pressure of adopting new technologies and redesigning business plans. Advanced technical assistance with 3D printers will come from the Department of Energy's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where manufacturers can test new additive manufacturing techniques.