It’s time to think differently about manufacturing. Taking an idea from prototype to production is no longer bound by the constraints of traditional manufacturing methods. In the era of Industry 4.0, companies are mitigating risk, cutting costs, and speeding time to market with 3D printing – a process that is predicted to revolutionize the world of production. Since its creation in 1983, 3D printing has evolved from a one-dimensional service used for rapid prototyping to a $7.3 billion industry with a footprint in a wide span of industries. Its evolution now helps power the world of manufacturing, increasing innovation and promoting efficiency and sustainability across the globe. Benefits Speed: One of the main benefits of additive manufacturing is the speed of which parts can be produced compared to traditional manufacturing methods. With Forecast 3D’s 3D Manufacturing Center (powered by 24 HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D printers), customers can get tens of thousands of parts in days, whereas traditional manufacturing methods like injection molding, often done overseas, typically take a month or more to complete Design Flexibility: 3D printing allows for the creation of extremely intricate designs and complex geometries that would often be complicated or even impossible to produce with traditional manufacturing methods. With additive manufacturing, customers can reiterate their designs and have updated parts quickly. With injection molding, tooling changes are required for every little design tweak, often resulting in several more weeks of waiting. The design flexibility of 3D printing …
Read More →Additive Manufacturing in Medical Devices: Insights from J&J and the FDA
One of the promises of additive manufacturing is the ability to go after niche markets with low volume production of unique parts. What application could be more apt for this technology than the human body? Last month, the FDA issued a statement providing guidance to manufacturers on technical aspects of additive manufacturing, clarifying what the FDA recommends manufacturers include on submissions for 3D printed medical devices. The FDA has, so far, approved over 100 3D printed medical devices, including knee replacements, custom skull/facial reconstructions, and even a 3D printed drug, called Spritam, which is used to treat seizures. The FDA has categorized this technical guidance as a “leap-frog” guidance, explaining that it is just a mechanism to share initial thoughts in order to bridge where we are today with the innovations of tomorrow.
Read More →Additive Manufacturing in the Aerospace Industry
“With 3D printing, the old rules of how we design things are out the window,” said Terry Woychowski, VP, NA Test Operations at LINK in his talk on “The Brilliant Machine Age” at the American Automotive Summit. “You can now create a component exactly how you want it, without excess material.” The result is lighter, more cost-effective parts. The opportunities this presents are endless. We have previously covered additive manufacturing in the automotive industry, but the aerospace industry is another place we are seeing the effects of this new technology today. Despite the tremendous opportunities additive manufacturing presents, it is still a time-consuming process, and therefore best suited for high-end components used in low-volume products, such as aircraft. According to a recent study by ABI Research, due to the sheer size of the American aerospace industry and its defense budget, the U.S. aerospace and defense industries will drive much of the growth in additive manufacturing over the next ten years, producing additive manufactured parts and products with a value of US$17.8 billion in 2026.
Read More →Additive Manufacturing in the Automotive Industry: Insights from Ford & BMW
In 2014, Local Motors printed the first 3D printed car from an ABS carbon-fiber blend. They call it The Strati. John Fleming, Former EVP, Manufacturing and Labor Affairs at Ford Motor Co., showed this video of The Strati during his presentation at the American Automotive Summit. He explained, “I showed this video not because I think Ford or anybody else is soon going to be 3D printing whole cars, I don’t see that. But I do see additive manufacturing as one of the technologies that is going to be one of the most critical in the future because it has the opportunity to do things that we’ve never been able to do before – to design components and manufacture them like we’ve never been able to before – and I do think it will disrupt the business, and this is happening already.”
Read More →Industry 4.0 Realized: How BMW is approaching digital transformation
The promise of Industry 4.0 is being realized in the automotive industry, and BMW is at the forefront of the evolution of automated production. At last year’s American Manufacturing Summit, Dirk Hilgenberg, VP, Assembly at BMW shared with us how BMW is incorporating Industry 4.0 concepts to innovate at each stage of the production process, from design to post-market.
Read More →3 Technologies that are Rapidly Changing the Supply Chain Landscape
At Generis’ 2017 American Supply Chain Summit, Dave Malenfant, Director of the Center for Supply Chain Innovation at Texas Christian University, shared with us the three most disruptive technologies that are changing the supply chain industry today: 3D printing, drones, and driverless trucks.
Read More →Presentation: Metal Powder, Aerostructures, and Additive Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is the process of synthesizing a three-dimensional object. The object is created using sequential layers of material, formed under computer control. Additive manufacturing is really the process of the future, as it can be used across industries. The Hoeganaes Corporation is on the forefront of innovation when it comes to additive manufacturing, as Hoeganaes has created AncorAM, a new family of products focused on high-tech materials for additive manufacturing. Hoeganaes is also: The world’s largest manufacturer of sintered components and a leading producer of metal powder. A leading tier one supplier of Aerostructures and engine products and systems to the global aerospace industry. The leading tier one supplier of automotive driven systems and solutions to the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers. A leading supplier of powder managements products and solutions for agriculture, construction, mining, and industrial equipment. See the full presentation below for more information about the Hoeganaes Corporation and these manufacturing processes.
Read More →The Digitization of Manufacturing: A Framework for Transformation
Technology plays a major role in efficient manufacturing and the early adoption of emerging technologies can lead to a significant competitive advantage. As a result many manufacturers are looking towards digitization to drive profitability and maintain competitiveness. Cognizant, a leading provider of information technology, consulting and business process outsourcing services, has generated the in-depth whitepaper below to help guide manufacturers on their journey to digital transformation. The whitepaper looks at the challenges and opportunities that manufacturers face in the current environment and cites several industry examples to highlight how innovative manufacturers, such as Mercedes-AMG and Dow Chemical, are using technology to enhance their productivity and efficiency. In the whitepaper Cognizant defines the four mandates that should be adopted by manufacturers seeking to take advantage of emerging technologies and outlines a practical transformation road-map that is built on their digital maturity framework. To hear more from Cognizant, join the discussion at the American Manufacturing Summit 2016 taking place on February 29th – March 1st in Chicago!
Read More →How to take Additive Manufacturing from Prototyping to Production
Additive manufacturing technologies will revolutionize industrial manufacturing over the next few years. Manufacturers such as GE and 3M are already leveraging 3D printing technologies for product prototyping and direct parts production. Beyond product prototyping, Cognizant, a global leader in business and technology services, believes that manufacturers will be able to reduce time to market, improve quality, shorten supply chains and achieve production at scale through the adoption of additive manufacturing techniques. To help guide and inform manufacturers, Cognizant has developed a maturity model and assessment framework that enables informed decision-making on additive manufacturing adoption for volume production. In the whitepaper below Cognizant addresses the key challenges and opportunities in adopting additive manufacturing and outlines the framework required. Printing the Future From Prototype to Production To hear more from Cognizant, join them at Booth #15 at the American Manufacturing Summit 2016 taking place next month in Chicago!
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