If you missed this webinar, you can watch it here: Design Freedom & Manufacturing Flexibility: A Case Study of Metal 3D Printing
Additive is changing the game, and 3DEO is leading the way. We are solving the up-front cost problem of traditional manufacturing, while achieving superior quality and surface finish in production metal 3D printing. Let’s dive into how 3DEO and additive manufacturing are achieving this.
What is 3D Printing?
Growing a part on a layer by layer basis; also known as additive manufacturing because we are adding layers on top of layers. Starts with a 3D model, then it’s sliced into many 2D layers, those 2D layers are then sent to the 3D printer to print the part, then you move to post processing the part.
Different Metal AM Processes: Powder Bed Fusion, Extrusion (FDM), Directed Energy Deposition (DED), Material Jetting, Binder Jetting, 3DEO’s Intelligent Layering®.
Design Freedom
With additive manufacturing you design for function, not manufacturing. Also, complexity is “free” with 3D printing compared to conventional manufacturing, and you can forget about draft angles, undercuts, and tool access.
Manufacturing Flexibility
Additive manufacturing is really at the core of industry 4.0 and the factory of the future. Additive manufacturing is the heart of production because it’s fully integrated from end to end, it’s digitally enabled and data driven, and the fact that it’s dynamic and flexible leads to high quality and low cost. This paradigm shift also results in the ability to change parts being produced, modify part designs, fix quality real issues, increase/decrease production — all in REAL TIME!
Case Study – Ergokiwi
The problems that Ergokiwi faced were 1. CNC machining was too expensive and 2. other metal 3D printing quality was poor, resulting in Ergokiwi’s inability to scale their production. 3DEO was able to provide the solution when they switched to our metal 3D printing technology. They saved 25% on every latch, were “blown away” by our seamless surface finish and tolerances, and we provided the ability for them to order parts on demand, so they didn’t need to carry inventory.
Getting Started
To successfully adopt additive manufacturing, here are some tips:
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- Understand the TRUE costs and benefits
- Start small and contain costs to get momentum
- Develop an attitude of experimentation
- Be committed to the long term
- Service bureaus can help contain costs, reduce risk, and educate
- Metal additive manufacturing cost curves are already shifting dramatically, so there’s massive potential for competitive advantage
- Those who take action today will have a huge head start
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To learn more about the real-time flexibility that 3D printing brings to today’s world of inflexible manufacturing, watch the webinar now.
