3D printing is rapidly maturing as a production technology. It’s great for prototypes and has a lot of advantages for small and medium-sized production runs. But how much will 3D printing affect production and the supply chain, and how will the technology get there? Here are six forecasts for additive manufacturing’s near future.
1. 3D printing will be bigger, faster and cheaper. Technologies for 3D printing are rapidly evolving. Increasing demand for specialty materials that meet the essential qualities of end products will drive further expansion of the range and types of options available. The capacity to handle a wider range of innovative materials will be critical for the next generation of printers, especially industrial-grade solutions. This enables enterprises to benefit from additive manufacturing in previously inaccessible places.
Although machine costs remain high, greater print speed is driving down part prices. These developments will increase as more businesses use 3D printing. The versatility of 3D printing is increasing with the advent of methods such as dual extrusion. As a result, 3D printing is becoming more widely used in a variety of industries. Another trend that is anticipated to drive progress is printing without the usage of support structures, which expands the range of applications that additive manufacturing can provide. In our opinion, the potential for cost and time savings is significant.
2. Additive manufacturing will become part of an integrated supply chain approach. To maximize benefits, manufacturers require a wide range of printers and materials, as well as connections with other industry professionals. Furthermore, interoperability among different systems is becoming increasingly important in order to maximize the potential of 3D printing. Automation in production and post-processing, as well as integrated usability, will be important trends this year and beyond. As part of a holistic and secure platform, additive manufacturing can provide a completely new supply chain approach, combining individual steps from concept to materials, digital inventory, production, and delivery. As manufacturers strive for Industry 5.0, services that provide a fully automated, yet secure, platform will be critical.
3. Working together is imperative. Partnerships can result in mutual benefits and synergies, resulting in a better product for customers. This has proven to be a key enabler of industrial production scale in 3D printing. However, more comprehensive collaboration is required to move forward. Standards must be developed, and printer and post-processing systems must be compatible. Furthermore, shared production data can lead to better printers and materials for everyone. Similarly, close collaboration is required to achieve the best solution. The next step in creating a better service is to connect service providers, material producers, and print farms all over the world.
4. There must be ways to provide quality and cybersecurity assurance. 3D printing continues to transform today’s industries, with companies adopting the technology for an increasing number of their needs, resulting in a more integrated manufacturing environment. However, for industrial production, businesses must be confident that their 3D printed parts will meet quality standards. Furthermore, data ownership will be critical. Intellectual property must remain in the hands of the right people. Data management will be critical as manufacturing moves into the digital era. When it comes to quality assurance, it’s critical to carefully select production partners, assess their capabilities, and ensure repeatable fit-for-purpose parts. Additional steps are needed to ensure that design data is kept in the right hands. Furthermore, organizations must enforce manufacturing parameters by encrypting the data so that the parts can only be produced in the amount and material specified. Manufacturing data can be collected and analyzed to detect errors quickly, improve the process, and ensure all quality requirements are met.
5. 3D printing will boost supply chain resilience. 3D printing has previously been used to address a variety of supply chain disruptions. The role of additive manufacturing in solving these problems will only grow as technology advances. Manufacturing organizations that use 3D printing technology can build shorter, stronger, and more resilient supply chains because production can be located closer to the consumer location. The weakest link in any supply chain is physical inventory. However, with on-demand printing, inventory becomes digital. Engineers and manufacturers can send the design file to the 3D printer service closest to the next step in the supply chain, whether the component is received by the manufacturer or the final product is received by the consumer. Then there is less need to store and move inventory incrementally. Parts can instead be printed and shipped the shortest possible distance, lowering carbon dioxide emissions and increasing supply chain resilience.
