3D printing is quickly becoming a mature manufacturing technology. It’s useful for prototypes and offers significant benefits for small and medium-sized production runs. But just how much will 3D printing change manufacturing and supply chain — and how will the technology get there? Here are six predictions about the near future of additive manufacturing.
1. 3D printing will be bigger, faster and cheaper. 3D printing technologies are developing quickly. Rising demand for specialized materials to fulfil the required properties of end parts will continue to drive developments in the range and types of options available. The key for the new generation of printers, especially industrial-grade solutions, will be the ability to handle a greater range of advanced materials. This opens the door for businesses to benefit from additive manufacturing in areas where they previously could not.
Although machine costs remain high, increased print speed is pushing the price of parts down. As more and more businesses adopt 3D printing, these advancements will accelerate. With the addition of processes such as dual extrusion, the versatility of 3D printing is growing. As a result, 3D printing is being adopted in a wider range of industries. Another trend likely to significantly drive development is printing without the use of support structures, which again broadens the range of applications additive manufacturing can offer. In our eyes the potential for cost and time savings is high.
2. Additive manufacturing will become part of an integrated supply chain approach. To maximize benefits, manufacturers need a large range of printers and materials and, importantly, connections with other industry professionals. Furthermore, interoperability among different systems is becoming important to maximize the potential of 3D printing. Automation in production and post-processing as well as in integrated usability will be important trends this year and beyond. Additive manufacturing can provide a whole new supply chain approach as part of a holistic and secure platform in which the individual steps are combined into one process, from concept to materials, digital inventory, production and delivery. As manufacturers strive toward Industry 5.0, services offering a fully automated, yet secure, platform will be essential.
3. Working together is imperative. Partnerships can create mutual benefits and synergies that lead to a greater product for customers. In 3D printing, this has proven to be a main enabler to scale industrial production. However, to progress further, there is a need for more holistic collaboration. Standards have to be developed, and printer and post-processing systems should be able to work together. In addition, shared production data can lead to improved printers and materials for all. Likewise, close collaborations are essential to achieving the best solution. An ecosystem where service providers, material producers and print farms worldwide are connected is the next step to building a better service.
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 more and more of their needs, thereby giving rise to a more integrated production environment. However, for industrial production, businesses must be assured that their 3D printed parts will meet necessary quality requirements. Moreover, data ownership will play a crucial role. Intellectual property needs to stay in the right hands. As manufacturing progresses into the digital era, data management will be critical. In terms of quality assurance, it’s important to carefully select production partners, check their capabilities and ensure repeatable fit-for-purpose parts. Further steps are required to ensure design data is kept in the right hands. In addition, organizations must enforce manufacturing parameters by encrypting the data so the parts can only be produced in the requested amount and material. By collecting manufacturing data and analyzing it, mistakes can be detected quickly, improving the process and ensuring all quality requirements are met.
5. 3D printing will boost supply chain resilience. 3D printing has been used in the past as a solution to a variety of supply chain disruptions. As the technology develops, additive manufacturing’s role in solving these problems will only increase. Because 3D printing production can be situated closer to the consumer location, manufacturing organizations leveraging this technology can build shorter, stronger and more resilient supply chains. Physical inventory is the weak point in any supply chain. But with printing on-demand capability, inventory becomes digital. Engineers and manufacturers can send the design file to the 3D printer nearest the next step in the supply chain, whether it is the manufacturer receiving the component or the consumer receiving the final product. Then, there is less need to store and incrementally move inventory. Instead, parts can be printed and shipped the shortest practical distance, thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions and boosting supply chain resilience.
6. Additive manufacturing will drive sustainability forward. Demands of end-customers, official regulations and even moral duty are making sustainable production and supply chains increasingly necessary. This trend also is present in 3D printing, which can reduce waste during production. By specifically designing a part for 3D printing, engineers can drastically decrease the weight of the end part, therefore reducing the material needed for production. Moreover, when 3D printing is used as part of an on-demand and decentralized digital warehouse, it can reduce the number of parts in inventory and the associated waste. Plus, by locating production closer to the next step in the supply chain, carbon dioxide emissions during transport are reduced. Moreover, there will be growth in sustainable 3D printing materials such as recycled, reusable and biodegradable plastics.
