Regardless of what started the global supply chain crisis, it all comes down to one thing for manufacturing companies: The lack of vital parts for your production. New technologies such as 3D printing can become a powerful solution to overcome these challenges.
The supply chain woes have been confirmed by a recent report from HUBS, Supply Chain Resilience. In the report, 98% of companies admit they need to act on these challenges, but only 63% have begun doing so.
Whether it is the the driver crisis in supply chain logistics, a pandemic or current geopolitical forces, many manufacturing companies have had to take a hard look at their existing supply chain. Some have made agonizing efforts to find new suppliers. But, we have also seen several examples of companies using 3D printing to produce parts that are vital to their operations. This has led to a safer and more predictable supply chain.
The Right Parts just-in-time with 3D Printing
3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is very different from the traditional machining of parts. Firstly, it is an additive process. This means material is added, such as polymer, composite or metal, instead of removing it from a slab of plastic or metal, as in CNC milling. 3D printing also means you have virtually no limitations in terms of geometry. This adds greatly to the complexity of the part and can contribute to making parts more lightweight or top optimize functionality.
In the case of 3D printing in supply chain, this technology is used as an alternative to sourced parts or tools, by either printing them inhouse, or through a local service bureau. This allows manufacturing companies to have necessary parts and tools just-in-time, with little or no inventory.
Another benefit is reduced lead times. Not just for the production of parts, but also in terms of consolidating assemblies (that take time) to one, single 3D printed part. Iteration, plus the frequency and speed of iterations, is another big argument for 3D printing.
In essence, the benefits of using 3D printing to mitigate supply chain hurdles can be summed up as follows:
- Shorten lead times
- Reduced warehouse costs
- Just-in-time parts
- Manufacture sustainably
- Reduced assembly
- Better performance of parts
- Iterate parts fast and freely
Examples of Companies Using 3D Printing in Supply Chain
The following examples illustrate what is possible to achieve using an in-house 3D printer or outsourcing printing to a service bureau:
Vestas
After challenges with sourcing tools for their wind turbine production and installation, Danish company Vestas began exploring how to optimize their overall manufacturing process. By using smart software, digital warehousing and 3D printers from Markforged, the company can now produce whatever tool they need, whenever and wherever they need it.
FarmDroid
Scaling up a startup can be difficult and costly. Danish company FarmDroid is using a fleet of 3D printers to not only print prototypes, but also for bridge production and certain parts that go on their prized agricultural robots.
Can We solve Challenges in Our Supply Chain with 3D Print
How can you ensure that 3D printing is a good fit for manufacturing parts for your business? Firstly, you need to know the possibilities but als the limitations of 3D printing. A range of materials is available on the market and they come with a range of properties. Which results would you like to achieve with 3D printing in terms of tolerances, size, strength and surface finish.
Secondly, you need to look at the parts you want to produce. Are any of these eligible for print instead of traditional machining? For example, a part of the right size manufactured in aluminium might as well be 3D printed in a reinforced carbon fiber composite. Such a part will be just as strong and can be produced faster and at a lower cost by simply 3D printing it in-house.
Get in touch with us
Based in the Nordics, Addinor has a decade of experience within additive manufacturing and we want to help you getting started with 3D Printing. If you need hands-on guidance or best practice sharing in 3D printing for supply chains, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Addinor team.
We are here to guide you every step of your 3D print journey.
