We all know 3D printing
is a powerful tool with great
potential. However, the best use for 3D printing in manufacturing is still
contested. Some herald it as a total replacement for mass production:
you want something, you print it. Others see it as a useful prototyping
tool with little viability on the production floor. But what is 3D
printing’s place, really?
To answer that, we asked Rush LaSelle, director of digital manufacturing
at JABIL inc. With 175,000 employees
worldwide, JABIL is a massive multi-sector company that specializes in design
engineering, supply chain management and logistics and manufacturing.
According to LaSelle, identifying the value in emerging
technologies is essential to gaining an advantage in the marketplace. Correctly
applying leading technology can make your products better and help them get to
market faster.
So, where does additive manufacturing fit in?
Additive manufacturing may never be able to match
the low cost or speed of injection molding (yes, companies like HP are working
on making the process faster), but additive has other advantages over other
production processes.
Additive Advantage: Mass Customization
3D printing doesn’t require molds or special tooling.
Consider two custom medical implants, such as dentures: each
print takes basically the same time to produce, whether the machine prints two
identical pieces or two totally different pieces, since you aren’t cutting
metal for injection molding.
Quickly and cheaply producing customized products in this
way is a huge opportunity, and we’re seeing it happen with companies like FitStation.
Additive Advantage: Reducing Batch Size
Distributing manufacturing helps get products to market
faster. 3D printing can help take manufacturing out of monolithic factories
overseas and bring it closer to home.
For example, printing car
parts right next to the production line could reduce warehousing and
inventory costs.
Additive Advantage: De-Risking
With injection molding, design failures are expensive. With
3D printing, you can produce
multiple iterations in the time it would take to cut a new mold. This opens
up opportunities for designers to try new things and explore the limitations of
the technology.
The Role of Additive in the Production Process
So, what is the rightful place of additive manufacturing?
According to Rush LaSelle, additive may never replace
injection molding in applications requiring high volumes of identical parts.
However, as designers and engineers explore the full potential of the
technology, we will find the optimal role of 3D printing in industrial manufacturing.
If you liked this video, click
here to watch our exclusive interview with HP chief engineer Chandrakant
Patel.