If you haven’t been tracking the state of the additive manufacturing (AM) industry closely, you may have missed some exciting recent developments. Additive manufacturing applications and the technologies that power them have come so far so fast, that Tier 1 and Tier 2 manufacturers across several industries are now deploying them.

Noteworthy examples include:

• Gaining Ground on Conventional Tooling
3D-printed parts are establishing a presence on the actual factory floor. Instead of keeping piles of replacement parts on hand to fix broken equipment, manufacturers are starting to print these same parts as they need them.

Conventional tooling remains the dominant approach, but the additive manufacturing process is quickly gaining ground. This is because of AM’s ability to produce low volumes of highly specialized parts that require complex shapes and exacting specifications. When it comes to machine maintenance, tooling parts through the principle of additive manufacturing makes more sense.

• Shifting From Plastic to Metal Printing
One of the lingering additive manufacturing issues from the early days of the technology is that it only produced plastic objects that were suitable for prototyping — but were limited by the performance of the material. As technology has evolved, however, printers are now able to use metal materials as their feedstock.

Between 2017 and 2018, plastic’s use in additive manufacturing applications dropped 23% while the use of metal increased by 12%. Metal printing will make up the majority of additive manufacturing by 2021, which isn’t surprising given its potential to disrupt the trillion-dollar metal parts fabrication industry.

• Becoming a Competitive Differentiator
When companies adopt additive manufacturing, they take on a forward-thinking and tech-oriented image. These organizations are leading the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” instead of waiting for others to chart the course.

More than just appearing to be advanced, though, manufacturers armed with 3D printers can now work with a more substantial list of materials and print with mixed materials. These additive manufacturing services add to the financial benefits of additive manufacturing and designate it as a meaningful competitive differentiator.

• Increasing Relevance in Smaller Companies
Much of additive manufacturing’s burgeoning popularity stems from how smaller companies have embraced it. As long as there is room in the R&D budget to purchase a few printers and space on the factory floor to install them, companies are eager to experiment with the technology.

For example, they’re printing near-net-shape parts in low volumes that conventional casting and forging simply can’t match. For startups and small businesses alike, additive manufacturing applications present a path toward the acquisition of market share in a highly competitive industry.

 

With an almost limitless number of possibilities, additive manufacturing’s best days are ahead of it. Explore how it fits into your operations (and where conventional manufacturing still makes more sense) with the help of VEXTEC.