Part Buyers Authority Issue #3

As the additive manufacturing technology lead for CMTC, the California MEP Center, I have used my over 20 years of experience in manufacturing to help companies throughout California experience the true value of Additive Manufacturing (AM). AM is a technology that has matured and evolved rapidly in recent years. Although it has commonly been referred to as 3D printing, it is industry referred to as “Additive Manufacturing” because of its real world impact on manufacturing. AM technologies are continuing to advance quickly as mainstream equipment producers have entered the market, leading to new additive processes being developed. These new processes have made a wide range of production grade materials available, such as titanium, tool steel and a wide range of plastics. Some of the benefits of adopting AM include: • Increased Innovation AM allows manufacturers to print prototypes in hours, obtain feedback, refine designs & repeat the cycle until designs are perfect. • Improved Communication Holding a full color, realistic 3D model in your hands imparts far more valuable information than a computer image. • Time to Market Design cycles are compressed by using AM to create multiple on demand prototypes. • Reduced Development Costs Cut traditional prototyping & tooling costs. • Win Business Bring realistic 3D models to prospective accounts. • Mass Customization Merchandise can be personalized for specific customer requirements. • Use New Structures & Shapes AM allows more creative designs and the production of complex parts in one process–component rationaliation. • Produce Less Waste Traditional (Subtractive) manufacturing typically creates a lot of chaff as parts are formed. AM uses little more than the material needed to form a part, resulting in a lot less material needing to be recycled.” • Reduced Manufacturing Costs AM results in savings up to 70% of manufacturing costs while making business more efficient, green & profitable. To say that it is an exciting time to be in additive manufacturing is an understatement. As an example, GE Additive has been leading the way with additive adoption starting with their fuel nozzle project. This single use of AM technology has been saving the airline industry billions in fuel costs since its introduction. Additionally, with GE’s purchase of Concept Laser and Arcam, they now have more than 9 AM centers around the world pumping out production additive metal parts for all their divisions including rail, medical, and aerospace. At a recent lecture, Boeing engineers stated that, of the 6 million parts needed to construct one of their commercial aircraft, they are looking at every single part to see if it can be additively manufactured. The cost savings, they explained, are from savings in tooling, assembly, and time to market. The recent flood of new AM technologies is driving even more adoption by manufacturers: CHRIS WENTWORTH Additive Manufacturing Practice Lead CALIFORNIA MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING® FOREWAR 4 PART BUYERS A U T H R I T Y