{"id":663,"date":"2019-06-28T15:24:18","date_gmt":"2019-06-28T09:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.indiacadworks.com\/blog\/?p=663"},"modified":"2019-06-28T15:24:18","modified_gmt":"2019-06-28T09:54:18","slug":"enhancing-manufacturing-speed-with-3d-printing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.indiacadworks.com\/blog\/enhancing-manufacturing-speed-with-3d-printing\/","title":{"rendered":"How the 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing Industry Has Grown"},"content":{"rendered":"

Research shows that the 3D printing industry hit record revenues in 2017, with revenues surging past $7 Billion. Over the past few years, additive manufacturing has shown itself worthy for greater volume work. Let’s delve into how that happened and where the manufacturing industry is headed.<\/p>

Deloitte Global predicts that sales related to 3D printing by large public companies, including enterprise 3D printers, materials, and services, will surpass US$2.7 billion in 2019  and top US$3 billion in 2020.<\/p>

3D printing is definitely growing in popularity, because they are capable of printing a greater variety of materials, including metal, faster than they used to. <\/p>

\"Growth
Source: https:\/\/bit.ly\/2QNRgQ2<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Not only are 3D printers getting faster, but the printable objects’ size is growing too. A few years ago, a printer could only create objects smaller than 10 x 10 x 10 centimeters. In 2019, we have an improved size of 30 x 30 x 30-centimeter volume! This allows for larger objects to be made without needing to print smaller objects and then assemble them. <\/p>

3D Printing vs. Traditional Manufacturing<\/h2>

While the concept of 3D printing has been around for a while, advancements in the technology have started to lower the cost of the process, to levels that make it more accessible. However, the question remains, will 3D printing<\/a><\/strong> truly replace more traditional methods of assembling products? To answer this, let’s compare the models. <\/p>

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\n
Prototype Production<\/div>\n

The 3D printing process generally doesn’t require any special new tooling to make a part. If the prototype needs a rework, a new design can be created relatively fast. A traditional assembly line, on the other hand, would much more time to retool the line, wasting time, material, and labor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Prevent Waste<\/div>\n

With a 3D printer, the only material consumed is what passes through the printer. As an example, in traditional assembly, perforated sheet metal production will cut holes into the whole sheet, leaving a lot more scrap to recycle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Production on a larger scale<\/div>\n

While 3D printers might not need to be retooled in between production runs, they run at a slower speed in comparison to the traditional assembly line. As 3D printing requires each object to be assembled one layer at a time, it cannot currently compete with traditional manufacturing’s speed for mass production.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Availability of Specific Materials<\/div>\n

3D printing can now be used to make objects out of some metals, as well as polymers. However, should the business require other materials, they could be limited in this regard.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The scale of Produced Parts<\/div>\n

With 3D printers, there is a restriction on the total area of the printing bed. Depending on the model of 3D printer you use, this could be a few cubic inches or a few cubic feet. While they can allow you to create a part in pieces for later assembly, doing so may not be ideal. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

So, while the use of 3D printing isn’t likely to completely replace traditional manufacturing any time soon, the technology does have incredible utility for small, specialized, one-off production runs.<\/p>

Subtractive Manufacturing, Injection Molding, and 3D\nPrinting<\/h2>

While additive manufacturing adds successive\nlayers of material to create an object, subtractive manufacturing, does the\nopposite. Subtractive manufacturing removes sections of material by machining\nor cutting it away. It can be carried out manually or by (CNC) machining.<\/p>

One of the advantages of subtractive manufacturing is the ability to machine an extremely thin piece of plastic into a living hinge. This kind of process is simply not yet possible in a 3D printer. For those prototypes that require living hinge components, it is useful to produce certain parts using additive manufacturing, while using the CNC machine<\/a> for specialty components like a hinge.<\/p>

Injection molding, on the other hand, can be\nan effective technology for pre-production prototypes, but generally, it’s used\nfor final manufacturing. The advantage – you can manufacture your prototype in\nthe final material. It is also much more efficient in terms of time to use\ninjection molding when you’re creating more than several dozen copies of a\nproduct. Costs might be higher initially to use an injection molding machine,\nbut the more you produce, the more cost-effective it becomes.<\/p>

The Role of 3D Printing in the\nManufacturing Process<\/h2>

3D printing is having a revolutionary impact on product\ndesign and manufacturing, particularly in the prototyping phase.<\/p>

Designers can get their prototypes produced locally and immediately,\nwithout any tooling. Prototypes can be easily modified too, allowing designers\nto take risks and make mistakes early in the design process without incurring\nhefty costs or delays in production. This also allows designers to get feedback\nfrom customers early on. By the time the product is ready for full production,\nall the kinks have been worked out and fully tested.<\/p>

\"3D
Source: https:\/\/bit.ly\/2YkhV7o<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Recapping the Advantages of 3D Printing<\/h2>