Additive Manufacturing - Four Sectors for Growth
This article will discuss some strengths of additive manufacturing as well as the four sectors most poised for growth due to these strengths.
Note: this article will use the terms “additive manufacturing” and “3D printing” almost interchangeably. In general, “3D printing” typically refers to desktop machines used by hobbyists, whereas “additive manufacturing” (abbreviated as AM) refers to professional, industrial use.
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Background
Though the long-term trends favor additive methods over traditional forms of manufacturing, growth will be restricted by the current system due to its nature of reluctance to change. In the short term, AM and AM research will be sustained by investment in a few particular areas as these sectors will provide visible growth and quantifiable value.
Strengths to play
As we discuss the areas of growth, these characteristics of AM will be key determining factors in their application:
Design Complexity. Due to the layer-by-layer build process of AM, the methodology allows the manufacture of complex internal structures, analogous to the cross section of the bones of a bird. These structures can house internal components while being lightweight and sturdy. Further, this kind of internal structural design is extremely difficult or impossible to fashion with traditional manufacturing methods.
Manufacturing Agility. This strength comes from the ability of one additive machine to manufacture almost any design. Compared to a traditional form of manufacturing like injection molding, where the cast creates one design and one design only, a piece of additive machinery is incredibly versatile. This challenges the centuries-old tried and true principles of the economies of scale: it is now economically feasible to make one or two of something then shift gears on a dime to a different product.
Four sectors for growth
Rapid prototyping. As AM brings the ability to produce versions with small, one-off changes with its superior manufacturing agility, AM will leverage this strength by bringing scale models or exact models to reality for review. The benefit which comes as a designer (or client) holds and experiences a design for themselves can not be underscored. Failures are brought to light and aesthetics are evaluated. However, we must note that the convergence of advanced simulation software, advanced design software, and interactivity in the virtual world through AR/VR will mostly neutralize this advantage as testing and model interaction can be done within the computer. In the short term, though, AM’s application for prototypes is unmatched. This sector plays upon AM’s strength of agility.
Complex components. Just as GE perfected the production of a jet engine through AM, the same change will happen in other complex metal component industries. GE implemented DfAM (design for additive manufacturing) on a mass-produced jet engine with incredible results. Rather than hundreds of components which need assembly by human hands, the new design led to the additive manufacture of the same engine built out of just 12 individual components, with the final assembly both weighing less than the original and outperforming at nearly every level. Further implementations of this have been accomplished throughout the aerospace industry and, notably, in Formula 1 racing vehicles. This sector plays upon AM’s strength of design complexity.
Deep customization. Similar to growth area #1, this sector plays off of the ability of AM technologies to produce versions with small, one-off changes. The highly-customized area of growth can focus around items such as wearables, implants, and prosthetics. These are customized to fit the individual for comfort and utility. A prime example of successful application in this sector is Invisalign, who employ stereolithography to 3D print clear plastic retainers for their customers just about every other week. With AM, their cost to manufacture these one-off designs is next to nothing. Additionally, custom metal or hybrid components can be critical to industries which must continue providing parts which are no longer in production, such as spare parts for classic cars. While the original manufacturing machinery may be obsolete or expensive to maintain, the part’s specifications can be re-designed for additive manufacture and created in small, cost-efficient batches. Legacy companies which are obligated to provide these parts would do well with investment in additive technology. This sector plays upon both of AM’s strengths of complexity and agility.
Remote environments. Due to AM’s production versatility, the machinery is well suited for environments with unreliable, time-consuming or resource-consuming supply chains. In this, maintaining a piece of additive machinery or fabricator in-house can provide critical components on demand: one machine can fabricate a near infinite number of components. In a probable situation, the additive machinery is connected via network to the designer at “home base” who transmits designs and operates the machine remotely. However, a certain amount of expertise should be retained by actors in the remote environment. The prime example here is of the organization “Made in Space” which has installed a 3D printer on the International Space Station, an environment which sits at the end of the longest, most expensive supply chain in history. Should a part break, it used to take weeks of time and hundreds of thousands of dollars to send a replacement. Now, the crew need only verify the design and upload to the additive machine for fabrication.This sector plays upon AM’s strength of agility.
Education. Though not a sector of industry as much as we might consider the first four examples, 3D Printing has already been seen as a tremendous method of teaching design concepts and the physical sciences at all levels of schooling. Through 3D design, spatial reasoning and creative construction areas of the mind are tapped and employed. Following through to manufacture, 3D printing necessitates an understanding of robotics, component stress, and interconnectivity. The entire process encourages prototyping and teaches students that failure is not to be feared, but to be learned from. Couple these advantages with the fact that desktop printers are decreasing in cost while becoming more and more user friendly and it is evident that the creative wave is just starting to grow.
Conclusion
Though many early adopters seemed to view AM as a complete revolution to traditional manufacturing, its use cases are best employed in select industries according to its areas of strength. The above growth sectors provide opportunities where AM can generate value and continue deepening the sorely-needed research in the field. Investment in these areas, as well as strengthening its presence in education, will push the technology forward.
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Ref.
Jordan, John M. (2018). 3D Printing. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
D'Aveni, R. (2018). The Pan-Industrial Revolution: How New Manufacturing Titans Will Transform the World. United States: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Kotler, S., Diamandis, P. H. (2020). The Future Is Faster Than You Think: How Converging Technologies Are Transforming Business, Industries, and Our Lives. United States: Simon & Schuster.
