Many managed IT service providers are finding it necessary to start offering 3D printing solutions. Though the technology isn&#;t brand new anymore, many businesses have yet to embrace this technology and without knowing are losing their competitive edge. It&#;s high past time to update your business technology! According to statistics, 71.1% of manufacturers have embraced 3D printing and 52% of manufacturers foresee the technology growing tremendously over the next 3 to 5 years. These statistics should have any company that has yet to invest in 3D printing worried. The following are some ways 3D printing will give you a competitive edge against your business rivals:
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Developing prototypes and blue-chips is a vital aspect of any manufacturing process. However, this step is known to take lots of time, effort, and resources as everything must be perfect. To achieve this, the piece(s) will undergo many modifications and alterations before it is finally accepted. Not only does this take time, but it also incurs high costs. Due to being computer-controlled and the fact that it gives you a preview of the final product before processing, 3D printing allow you to produce prototypes in a much shorter time frame while saving you money.
The modern customer is all about quality. He or she would rather pay more for a top-notch product than pay less for a substandard product. 3D printing solutions help you offer your market high quality products at a lower cost. The computer-controlled 3D printer provides an exact replica of the original product or prototype ensuring the quality is second-to-none. This explains why important products such as dental braces, jet engine fuel nozzles, and aircraft and satellite parts are being produced using 3D printers.
In comparison to a manufacturing plant, 3D printers occupy a smaller space and yet produce similar (if not better!) products. The equipment can easily be adjusted to produce different parts unlike the traditional plant operation that produces a specific piece. Less equipment means you save on space, lower the cost of operation and maintenance, and also speed up the manufacturing process. There is also less concern over an interruption that could halt the operation as 3D printers are more versatile.
One of the biggest concerns a company has is overhead costs which include rent, administrative costs, power, and much more. A large plant will occupy a larger space (higher rent), will require more operators (higher cost of labor), and will incur more cost in terms of maintenance and service. The costs associated with 3D printing are much lower because the printer occupies lesser space, requires minimal human intervention, and is cheaper to maintain and service due to fewer moving parts. As a company you will be better positioned to offer lower prices to your customer due to lower overhead costs when using 3D printing.
Operating 3D printing equipment isn&#;t as labor intensive as the traditional manufacturing plant. In fact, most advanced 3D solutions are 100% computer-controlled and come with Smart technology. Considering that it is much smaller than the usual processing plant, the number of people required to maintain or service a 3D printer is also fewer. Today&#;s printers use a range of raw materials, can be integrated with different software, and can even operate remotely.
Unless your systems are efficient and reliable, you will spend lots of time, effort and money correcting errors. For instance, a faulty production line may cease production causing delays (and, of course, angry customers). Getting a replacement part may take days, if not weeks. As the price of printers drops and technology continues to improve, 3D printing is becoming more efficient and reliable. Not only is the printer less likely to break down, it is also easy to replace a faulty component. This allows you to focus on other important areas of the company.
There you have it&#;six ways 3D printing offers your company a much-needed competitive advantage. It allows you to produce prototypes faster, reduces the cost of production, requires less input (human resources and equipment), and reduces overhead. Additionally, efficiency and productivity is vastly improved. To enjoy high-quality and reliable 3D solutions, it pays to engage with a reputable and experienced managed IT services provider. Not only will the firm offer the latest and best solutions, but also they will be available to provide technical support.
Additive manufacturing of metal is popular, but some end user companies are reticent about in-house printing of metals parts. This is, we believe, a powerful factor creating opportunities for metal AM service bureaus. This article defines five factors that have some service bureaus planning for a doubling the number of metal machines this year () according to SmarTech.
#1 Metals Printing Can be Trouble
In the future service bureaus are likely to lose business to in-house 3D printer deployments for polymer printing, but their metals business may increase. Additive manufacturing with polymers is more user-friendly than metals printing making the capital and expertise easier for end users to move the process in-house. There are more process parameters and knowledge involved with metal printing. And, on the materials side, new metals may require special techniques and expertise that are not easily or quickly achieved in-house. This &#;tribal&#; knowledge will help service bureaus keep their competitive advantage longer as metal AM becomes more cost-effective and user-friendly.
Metal 3D printers will reduce in cost in the next few years &#; we have already seen how this could happen from the latest HP and Desktop Metal products. Nonetheless, SmarTech Analysis believes that the combination service provider knowledge, supply chain efficiencies, and high-capital cost will keep metal service bureaus competitive for the foreseeable future.
#2 The &#;Hot Topic Effect&#;
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The current high level of publicity being afforded to metal printing automatically enhances the prospects for metal service bureaus. Hot topics are, by definition, of immediate importance, but they tend to cool down relatively quickly. It is to be expected that metal additive manufacturing will eventually become less hot as it matures and becomes just another process in the engineering toolbox. Yet, less attention doesn&#;t necessarily mean that market growth would stop, just that investors&#; enthusiasm might shrink.
#3 Lack of User Capital and Low ROI
A classic driver for companies to not 3D print in-house is that some companies just don&#;t have the capital. The impact of this market driver in metal AM is likely to intensify in the future as more end-user firms find they have a need for metal AM but cannot justify the capex.
Service bureaus also offer a way for companies to dip their toes in the AM metals business without having to invest heavily in the equipment, expertise, or time associated with bringing the process in-house. Some companies may even have the capital, but due to fluctuations and volumes the return on investment (ROI) of in-house metal AM is too low to make it viable. Offering metal 3D printing won&#;t tie down a service bureau, and a company can test the market to verify a parts value before investing the capital to move production in-house.
#4 Size, Complexity and Service Bureaus
Service bureaus may be able to handle large and complex parts more effectively and efficiently than in-house printing can. Being able to process large parts will give a service bureau additional value. Bringing metal printing in-house is already difficult enough, adding larger more expensive equipment adds complexity.
Finally, understanding different materials, process capabilities, and how complex features can change a design will be the experience service bureaus should have that will prevent or delay companies from moving in-house. Simple design concepts, post processing, and even part orientation can help produce a better product.
#5 Industry Focus Helps
Expertise in a particular industry provides a competitive advantage for service bureaus. It enables a service bureau to better understand its customers and for both customers and service bureaus to interact in a more effective way. As a result, some service bureaus are specializing in customers from the aerospace industry or the medical sector. Specialized automotive service bureaus are also expected to appear in the near future.
These comments apply to polymer AM as well as metals AM, but we note that specialist aerospace and automotive bureaus both have a strong metals orientation. Metals service bureaus that understand the needs, operations and traditions of big metal-using industry sectors are in a better position to win customers than those who don&#;t.
For more on the topic of AM metals service providers see &#;Metal 3D Printing Services: Service Revenues, Printer Purchases, and Materials Consumption &#; -,&#; one of SmarTech&#;s latest reports. Metal 3D printing is disrupting multiple industries and service providers with a focus on metals will have the opportunities to take advantage of the technology.
3DPrint.com is an equity holder in SmarTech.
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