Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, builds parts layer by layer with a variety of technologies. It claims to create less waste than other manufacturing processes, such as subtractive processes (machining), for example. It also improves manufacturing’s environmental impact further by moving the production process closer to the end-user, shortening the supply chain.
As the technology has grown, so has its capability to produce in volume. James Short, senior application engineer at AM machine maker Stratasys says: “Mass manufacturing is one of the core goals for Stratasys. FDM (fused deposition modelling), for example, is a technology for a manufacturing environment that has a balance between outputting large, high performance, bespoke products in low volumes and – especially with the F900 which has the ability to extrude plastic quickly and in large quantities –we’re now able to produce large numbers of components.”However, Short admits that FDM is not yet able to produce parts at the same scale as injection moulding, as it is more suited to thousands or tens of thousands of parts, rather than hundreds of thousands or millions.
Opening this month is the Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC), a facility that will supply additively-manufactured, end-use-ready components as well as jigs, fixtures and tooling for the space, aerospace, motorsport, automotive, defence, industrial, marine and medical sectors (see box). Its CEO, Kieron Salter, says: “AM has evolved far beyond the prototyping applications that initially established the technology’s reputation. From high-performance alloys to polymers, ceramics – even silicone – AM has evolved to the point where serial production is entirely feasible.
“We already have a selection of projects underway involving relatively high part volumes, using both metals and polymers. Our ability to react quickly to customer demands in serial production volumes offers a step-change in capability.”
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
Return on investment and part complexity, not batch sizes, will drive the decision-making process between using tradition production methods or AM, contends Rik Jacobs, VP application innovation and business/market development at machine-maker 3D Systems. He says: “A simple part printed in a large quantity could mean that conventional methods could still be more attractive. But, if a batch quantity is limited – as a product is still in the initial stage of its lifecycle – or as the level of design complexity increases, additive is the technology to implement into your production workflow to produce those parts, and that’s already economical and widely adopted in multiple segments.”
3D Systems offers a range of plastic and metal solutions where additive has been used as a standard production technology for unique objects, small batches or complex parts, such as dental prostheses, jigs, figures and connectors. Its Figure 4 printers can scale from a single printer to an integrated factory solution that grows with the customer’s needs.
The company also offers the ProX 800 and ProX 950, which Jacobs describes as ‘real production printers’, for producing parts made from resin using stereolithography (SLA). For metal printing, the DMP Factory 500 has a 500mm3 print tray for printing large single parts or multiple small parts continuously.
Salter adds that AM is not the answer to every problem, but agrees it does provide advantages when it comes to high-performance systems, projects and products. He says: “The primary benefit is that it allows you to create parts that could not feasibly be made in any other way. This can bring significant improvements to efficiency, weight reduction, performance increases and part simplification. It also happens to be one of the most energy-efficient forms of production when the full part lifecycle is considered.”
This also applies to the production of spare parts. Soon, it may not be necessary to keep or maintain tooling for legacy products. As long as the design file and specifications exist, what Salter calls the ‘digital asset’, that part can be created on-demand, eliminating the need for stock. In industries like space, aerospace and industrial, this could eventually lead to on-site manufacturing hubs, rapidly producing spare parts when required.
IMPACT OF COVID-19
Just as the pandemic posed challenges in virtually every aspect of life, the manufacturing industry was not spared any disruption.
Short explains: “What we’ve seen is that an over-reliance on external supply chain can catch companies out when there are disruptions to logistics networks. We’re seeing companies move towards bringing production in-house – on-demand spare part production; smart maintenance – to free themselves from the risk of external delays.”
Response to the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, saw the AM community step in to produce parts like nasal swabs, masks, visors, and other medical devices in the hundreds of thousands while companies that use traditional manufacturing methods were ramping up to be able to supply the massive global demand. AM companies were able to react more quickly because the technology is, by nature, more flexible and responsive.
Jacobs agrees: “COVID was of course a terrible time for the world. But it changed things; it let people think about how to improve things so that they will not face those kinds of problems in future.”
Short believes that this collaboration between traditionally secretive and competitive companies as they responded swiftly to the challenges of the pandemic will provide greater products and materials going forward. He adds: “We saw all the companies in our industry providing open-source files and discounts on materials to enable people to produce without the constraint of cost. We’re also seeing it across the board with better interaction on material and machine development.”
The consensus seems to be that we will see more examples of the AM industry working together and delivering products at scale in the coming months and years. And, as a result, the technologies being brought to market and the solutions that will be provided will improve greatly.
BOX: Digital Manufacturing Centre
The Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC) is due to open in March 2021. Located at Silverstone Park in motorsport engineering country, the 2,000m2 facility aims to realise the disruptive potential of digitally-connected AM.
Its engineering team will use metal and polymer AM systems, in combination with machining and inspection equipment, to provide production solutions. Partners include metrology equipment firm Renishaw and precision engineering company Produmax.
Kieron Salter, CEO of the DMC says: “When we say that the DMC has been created to realise the potential of additive manufacturing, we really do mean it. Not only is the DMC an engineering-led, end-to-end solutions provider, but it will also feature connectivity and digital simulation that is virtually unrivalled.
“With the support and collaboration of industry-leading additive and subtractive system providers, we are digitally re-creating and managing the entire process chain. Every procedure used in the creation of a part will first be simulated, the results of each step fed into the next simulation, mirroring the real part’s manufacture. While ‘digital twin’ is a buzzword that has been thrown around for years, we may be the first to truly implement and effectively use a digital twin in everyday production.”
The DMC is part-funded by SEMLEP’s (South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership) local growth fund and led in conjunction with engineering consultancy KW Special Projects (KWSP).