What Is 3D Printing?
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a method of printing 3-dimensional objects of varying materials. These printers can use CAD files to print objects layer by layer. 3D printing implements a process that is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing which involves cutting away material from a block. Compared to subtractive, additive manufacturing is more time and resource-efficient. Most 3D printing today is done using plastics but 3D printers can also be used to print composite and metal materials using industrial printers.
How Can 3D Printing Help Manufacturers?
Time Reduction
3D Printing enables manufacturers to develop concepts faster than traditional manufacturing methods. Instead of creating a new mold for a component, which can take several weeks, manufacturers can use 3D printing to produce new iterations much faster. This is especially helpful if a company wants to split test various versions of a new component. A process like this can take months with traditional manufacturing methods. This can help manufacturers beat competitors to new product implementations by saving critical production time.
Cost Reduction
Implementing 3D printing has the potential to save manufacturers a lot of money when testing new concepts. The resources required to produce prototypes are much lower than traditional production methods. Traditional methods require many workers and tremendous setup costs. Conversely, with 3D printing, you only need the printer and material. Additionally, 3D printers only use the material that is required for production. This will reduce waste normally generated by traditional manufacturing methods as well as, reduce the time required to collect wasted materials. Since 3D printing new concepts requires fewer resources, there is much less risk for manufactures.
3D printing becomes especially useful if manufactures only intend to produce a limited amount of a part or product. In this case, there would be no reason to go through the process of developing an entire production line. It would be much easier to simply print the desired amount of inventory. Additionally, highly customized concepts can benefit from 3D printing, as it is a very precise process allowing for easier development of complex concepts.
With 3D printing, all current and previous concepts can be stored on a computer via a CAD file used for printing. This will save space and minimized holding costs. Resources can also be saved when considering the need for replacement parts. If a manufacturer had a discontinued machine and a knob on the machine breaks, the manufacturer may have a difficult time getting a replacement if they did not have older replacement parts on hand. However, with a 3D printer, you would not need to source another machine of the same model. Instead, you could simply print a new knob as long as you had the required digital design files.
Insequence Corporation
Insequence is a leading provider of sequencing and manufacturing software solutions. Easily tailored to individual facilities, their software’s modular design can fulfill requirements no matter the size or complexity of the system. This results in a standard sequencing system, SPD Pro that is more complete and capable than any other solution. In addition to just-in-sequence (JIS), Insequence provides MES, Inventory Management, and SCADA solutions.
With experience throughout the Americans and Europe, plus over 20 standard automotive OEM interfaces and 24 x 7 x 365 customer support, Insequence is at the forefront of supply chain software solution providers. As a result, they still work with their original customer from 1996.
GO WITH THE PRO.
GO WITH INSEQUENCE.
The Company That Pioneered End-to-End Manufacturing.
