WHY 3D PRINTING AND MASS PRODUCTION CHANGE EVERYTHING
Besides its proven prototyping advantages, additive manufacturing redefines the scope of what small- and medium-batch industrial production can do.
No Design Limits
The restrictions associated with conventional production methods are a thing of the past. Machining often requires assembling parts (creating weaknesses in the process) and injection molding means making a mold (ruling out any shape that can’t be unmolded).
But additive manufacturers are limited only by their imagination.
Making It Here and Now
All you need to start printing a part is a template — which can be sent electronically anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds. It is ideal, for example, for making a replacement part that will enable an airplane to get back in the air right where
it’s stranded. More generally, 3D printing is the fastest process for small batches, whereas injection molding, which requires you to make a mold first, remains unmatched for large runs.
Optimizing Raw Materials
Conventional subtractive processes start with an initial bar or slab of material that is “sculpted” to create the desired shape, generating waste in the form of scraps, shavings and chips that can’t always be recycled. In contrast, 3D printing only uses
the material needed to make the shape, layer by layer. Lower consumption equals smarter production.
More Customization Than Ever
Today, customization is one of the biggest expectations in both the B2B and B2C markets. 3D printing removes all limits. We now have on-demand manufacture plus customized mass production of everything from automotive parts to athletic gear and medical
devices. Welcome to the age of mass customization.
Controlling Costs and Reducing Risks
3D printing production costs are constant, versus conventional methods, in which costs decline as the number of items produced increases. Again, that makes it especially well suited to small batches and custom production, or cheaper production testing
using a small run before investing in the equipment needed for large-scale production.
