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3YOURMIND and TÜV SÜD collaborate to build a Rapid Parts Qualification online tool
2020 is a hard year for everyone. The global crisis came unexpectedly and slowed down most of the companies development around the world. Priority has changed from product development to the producing of medical supplies to support the medical industry. During this time, 3D printing has proven its predominance over traditional manufacturing methods. We were able to supply small batches of newly designed products and iterate them when new developments were made. The biggest challenge was to qualify and certify all of those parts, so they could be used to support the fight against the virus.
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The COO’s Guide to Building a Digital Warehouse
The spare parts business is struggling. By 2025, 8% of SKU’s will transition from conventional sourcing to on demand additive manufacturing. The global MRO market is estimated at $660 billion — impacting oil and gas, defense, energy and transportation industries. Those that do not embrace the next generation of industrialization will be left holding the keys to empty warehouses or witnessing a lack of utilization on outdated capital equipment. These industries are notorious for having vast, complex supply chains, and the lack of information/data from the OEM’s tends to be problematic when it comes to quick production requirements. Simply put, many facilities are becoming more self-reliant and contemplating the next steps to take. Supply Chain Managers and Innovation Officers are asking, how do we prepare our facility to simultaneously meet the demands of our current clients and unlock the potential for future innovation?
Read more3D FRIDAY Talk Show | The new online event of Additive Manufacturing
We are all currently navigating through unprecedented times. Our global economy is transitioning, supply chains are adapting and it’s more important than ever to understand the shifts to that landscape. The seamless integration of 3D Printing to the manufacturing value chain proves that the new standard of production will be defined by additive technologies. It’s time to ask ourselves, what is the future with AM and how do we take advantage of it?
Read moreBuilding smarter defense operational supply chains with Additive Manufacturing
By 2024, the worldwide market for 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing in Aerospace and Defense is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly 17.5%, exceeding $3.3 Billion USD. This growth is predominantly concentrated in the USA and Europe, however parts of Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa are also increasing their adoption rates. The US Military has a proven preponderance of AM utilization for a variety of applications that include prototyping, R&D, MRO and production parts. Due to their strict guidelines for repeatability, security and time-sensitivity, it’s no surprise that this industry is further pushing AM into mass adoption to solve the problems of today, and tomorrow.
Read moreIs the factory of the future full of 3d printers?
As discussed in the article “Is Serial Additive Manufacturing Taking Off?”, the Additive Manufacturing world has seen significant growth in the past few years. Every year faster, more accurate technologies are being presented. AM knowledge is more accessible. New materials and post-processing methods are developed and implemented. To make it possible to use all of that in the production environment, we are also working very hard to introduce qualification processes to meet the highest requirements regarding part quality, production repeatability, and many other aspects.
Read morePOLYLINE Lighthouse Project | Navigating Uncertainty and Redefining Factory of the Future
The POLYLINE project brings together 15 industry and research partners from Germany to establish a landmark automated factory for additive manufacturing (AM). The 3YOURMIND Agile Manufacturing Suite will be the software layer that connects and manages the entire AM workflow. The German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is investing €10.7 Million Euro into the POLYLINE project. The goal of the project is to completely automate an AM production line for automotive parts from BMW - from CAD model to 3D printing and including quality assurance. The resulting production factory will be a lighthouse example of Industry 4.0, leading the way for the next generation of manufacturing.
Read more5 Lessons for AM, part 3/3: 5 Guidelines for Resilient Supply Chains
3D printing was able to support the covid response effort for critical, stop-gap production. But after less than one month, conventional manufacturing was already producing almost all of those parts, with the exception of parts that were generally better suited for AM. That illustrates that 3D printing has a critical, but limited role in the supply chain. Those guidelines can be taken to move 3D Printing from an innovation budget into a secure procurement plan as part of a resilient supply chain.
Read more5 Lessons for AM, part 2/3: Starting with Qualified Inventories
The way that the global community has responded to the covid situation has not only been a shock for the larger economy, it also presents an existential challenge to the 3D printing industry. For 3D printing to move out of the innovation department and into the procurement budget, it needs to be part of resilient supply chains. The good news is that the response effort to the medical supply shortages in covid offered some key guidelines to create this ongoing solution. Our first article spoke about how establishing smooth transitions between 3D printing and conventional manufacturing is key. In this article, we will explore the importance of working with qualified parts, how to use stakeholders in a center of excellence model to ensure that information is shared and steps to build fully resilient procurement processes.
Read more5 Lessons for AM, part 1/3: Can COVID-19 kill 3D Printing?
3D printing has shown high potential in reacting to the supply chain crisis. And yes, the distributed manufacturing concept carries hope for building more resilient supply chains. But the COVID-19 crisis fleshed out some crucial limitations of 3D printing as a response tool. The global economic downturn will severely impact innovation budgets where 3D printing is classified for most organizations. But there are also ways forward to show how to develop 3D printing as a daily procurement tool to create resilient supply chains. It’s time to thoroughly work on building digital AM qualified inventories.
Read moreWebinar Replay: When do AM Competency Centers Need 3D Printing Software
3D printing is already used by more than 50% of companies, but there is still a minority who require a robust software solution. The companies who have reached this milestone need a digital solution to manage the large volume of orders and access levels throughout their organization. Brian Crotty will provide an overview of specific signs that your company has reached a scale or level of complexity that requires a digital structure. He will also detail why enterprise companies are opting for the competency center model and how to transition from smaller production streams into a focused management solution that is accessible to the entire company.
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