June, 2019 | Supercharg3d

Reimagining the future of manufacturing

Not since the first Industrial Revolution has the manufacturing industry transformed more than it has in the last 20 years. New technologies including robotics, computer-driven manufacturing, and data analytics have helped companies increase supply chain efficiencies to keep up with demand, but what if a bigger manufacturing industry transformation was on the horizon? Take a moment and imagine manufacturing becoming fully digital, allowing us to produce and distribute custom products to meet demand in near real-time.

That’s the vision that’s being brought to reality by Chicago-based additive manufacturer Fast Radius.

I recently had the privilege of visiting their facility in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood and spoke with Fast Radius Chief Executive Officer Lou Rassey and Chief Operating Officer Pat McCusker, learning more about the company, its vision and strategy, and expansive list of clients. I found the scope of what Fast Radius does stretches far past the incremental improvements in efficiency the manufacturing industry expects.

Reimagining the future Of manufacturing

That’s the vision that’s being brought to reality by Chicago-based additive manufacturer Fast Radius.

Industry 2030 report identifies 3D printing as key to Europe’s industrial future

A recent report presented by the Industry 2030 Rountable to the European Commission has identified additive manufacturing as a key recommendation in the strategic growth of Europe’s industrial future. On the whole, the report outlines a vision for a European industry that simultaneously benefits society, the environment and the economy.

The Industry 2030 expert group report was published today and has already received a stamp of approval from CECIMO, the European Association of the Machine Tool Industry and related Manufacturing Technologies, which aims to promote the adoption of AM across Europe.

One of the fastest-growing developments in the world of technology has been that of 3D printing.

It is the process of depositing successive layers of material (e.g. plastic, metal, wax etc.) in a 3D printer, to create a physical object envisioned from a digital model.

3D printing technology has already been heavily adopted in industries like aerospace, automotive and industrial goods. With organisations in these respective industries utilising 3D printing for aspects such as making those parts/components that cannot be manufactured through conventional machining or laser processing techniques.

Interested in cutting-edge technology, mobile phone specialists Case24.com analysed findings from online 3D printing services provider Sculpteo, who surveyed 1,000 professionals (from a range of industries) to better understand how they are using 3D printing technology.

3D printing can definitely help to solve some of the problems that we have actually in the medical sector. For example, when a patient needs an organ for a transplant or a new skin tissue to heal an important wound, we have to wait for a donor. Waiting for a donor is a long process, but these patients don’t really have time to waste. That is precisely where the additive manufacturing technology can help them: it can use the patient’s cells to create a functional organ, an organ part or now, even a brand new skin tissue!

This process could really help accident victims and burned patients by providing viable skin grafts. It will be a real time-saving technique, and it will considerably ease the whole process as only one machine will be required. Donors and additional surgeries will not be needed anymore.

Diversity and collaboration fuel additive manufacturing at Henkel

Diversity and Collaboration Fuel Additive Manufacturing at Henkel – women play key roles in helping unleash the power of 3D printing.

As a Henkel employee, I am part of a large, multinational company that operates worldwide with leading innovations, brands, and technologies in three businesses: Adhesive Technologies, Beauty Care and Laundry & Home Care. Headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, we have over 50,000 employees, representing 120 nationalities in nearly 80 countries.

Diversity and inclusion are firmly anchored in our corporate culture and are key drivers to our business success. Women make up a significant portion of our workforce, playing important roles in nearly every business function, from product development and operations, to sales and marketing.

A key lesson learned talking with aerospace 3D printing companies at PAS 2019, that can be applied to all industrial segments

The Paris Air Show was a huge success for the largest aerospace players and for many innovative aerospace 3D printing companies. The aviation and space industries are rocketing toward booming growth with no slow down anywhere on the horizon. While additive manufacturing is still just a tiny – to use a euphemism – segment of aerospace manufacturing, all leading companies in aerospace are very much invested in developing it. The reason may be found in one of the largest deals ever closed during the show: the $55 billion in orders that CFM – a joint venture between GE and Safran – received for its LEAP engine. The LEAP engine is super efficient and is enabling a new generation of single-aisle jets – such as the Airbus321neo flown by French operator Le Compagnie in its new all-business flights – to make trips across the Atlantic on a single tank of fuel.

Last April, for instance, a LEAP-engine-powered Airbus A321neo LR loaded with 162 dummy passengers and 16 crew completed a test flight from Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France, to the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean that lasted 11 hours and covered 5,466 miles. It was the longest distance flight in the certification process of the A321neo. At the Paris Air Show Airbus formally unveiled a new long-range A321neo, officially designated the A321XLR, which will become available from 2023. The twinjet will have a maximum take-off weight of 101t and a range of 4,700nm compared with the 4,000nm of the current 97t long-range A321LR variant. GE and most operators expect that these efficient single-aisle aircraft will make up the bulk of order for the foreseeable future.

Deutsche Bahn leverages Gefertec 3DMP technology to 3D print spare railway parts

German railway company Deutsche Bahn is integrating metal additive manufacturing 3DMP technology from GEFERTEC to improve the availability of hard-to-procure spare parts.

Inside a 3DMP 3D printer. Photo via GEFERTEC

The 3DMP process was implemented for the first time as part of this pilot project. According to Dr. Tina Schlingmann, a Senior Consultant of complete railway systems technology at Deutsche Bahn, availability is a big issue for the company. 3DPM is being used to service vehicles for older locomotives, including now obsolete parts.

Is blockchain 3D printing’s guardian angel?

Nowadays, wherever there is an opportunity for technology to boost efficiency or lower costs in businesses, there is a new cybersecurity threat to even out the benefits.

3D printers are as vulnerable as any other connected componen

That’s especially true in the coming age of ‘Industry 4.0’, where the introduction of new, connected IT alongside legacy equipment can bring its own set of unforeseen vulnerabilities.

Forecast to be worth US$21 billion by 2021, 3D printing is becoming a key component in next-gen manufacturing. Today, brands as large and diverse as Boeing and Heineken are using the process of additive manufacturing to create bespoke parts overnight.

3D Printing is changing the global manufacturing landscape

With the entrance of big players like HP, Buggati, Adidas, and BMW in the additive manufacturing arena, stakeholders are convinced that 3D printing will bring about a revolution in the manufacturing industry.

3D Printing technology has gone through a cycle of testing, innovation, and application. These developments have grabbed attention as the next big thing in the manufacturing industry. The annual growth rate for the 3D Printing market is expected to be between 18.2% and 27.2% with the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) averaging at 23.5%. These figures indicate a growth rate that is three times the size of this industry in merely 3 years.

This technology has attracted various categories of end users such as start-ups, Small, or Medium Enterprises (SME) and hobbyists. The end-user feedback has a significant influence on the changing trends, and continuous improvements have been made not only in the technology but also in the materials used to ensure no compromise made on quality. For instance, ASTM recently released a set of standards outlining best practices for metal-powder bed fusion processes to ensure its quality for critical applications such as aerospace and medical industry.

Month: June 2019