EDITOR ’ S CHOICE 3D PRINTING & DIGITAL INVENTORY
3DPRINTUK
Accelerating Satellite Manufacturing
For manufacturing companies looking to revolutionise their responsiveness to customer spare parts demand , 3D printing opens up compelling opportunities . Today , 3DPRINTUK is promoting its ability to act as a satellite manufacturing facility for any overseas manufacturers to service UK spare part demand by curating their digital inventory .
The advantages of 3D printing — promoting design freedom , attainment of hitherto impossible geometric complexity , no tooling ( saving time and money ), speedy and cost-effective production , and mass customisation — are now well-known and accepted throughout industry . However , the impact that 3D printing can have on inventory is less well rehearsed , as are the ways that manufacturers can use digital inventory to enhance their responsiveness to customer demands wherever in the world their customers are . The key is that 3D printing means that parts can be made on demand and delivered to customers in any geography from anywhere in the world .
In general terms , spare parts management benefits from the agility , cost-effectiveness , and increasingly material agnostic nature of 3D printing , and also the fact that the technology is cost-effective for producing single items or low volume runs . The same cannot be said of traditional manufacturing processes , where production runs are only cost-effective in high volumes .
Generally speaking companies do not like to hold large volumes of stock . 3D printing of spare parts can cut costs , increase the functionality of parts , add a high degree of flexibility and responsiveness in service , and reduce risks . It also means that spare parts can be printed on demand , slashing the costs associated with having to hold high stocks levels of all spare parts , and also reducing the reliance on supply chains ( often international supply chains ) meaning spare parts can be printed locally in the numbers required .
Nick Allen , Managing Director at 3DPRINTUK says , “ At 3DPRINTUK , we hold digital files — effectively digital inventory — on behalf of customers , and our customers also hold digital inventories stored in-house on local computers or in the cloud . This means that these customers can drastically reduce stock levels , and can activate the production of any spare parts in any volume required at the click of a mouse . This is true just-in-time manufacturing and is possible using 3D printing , as production is direct from design files and does not require time-consuming and costly production of tools . As such , at 3DPRINTUK we are a critical part of a truly digital workflow , completely revolutionising the ways that manufacturers view the need for warehousing and associated logistical costs , and taking an enormous strain off the balance sheet .”
Another advantage is that 3D printing from a digital inventory can localise production . Multi-national companies with production facilities in various geographies can print the spare parts needed as close to the customer as possible , therefore reducing the time and cost associated with international and often long-haul shipping .
With this in mind , expert 3D printing service suppliers such as 3DPUK act as satellite production facilities for international manufacturers with customers they want to service in the United Kingdom .
Allen continues , “ Consider a manufacturer based in the United States , with sales offices and customers across the world , but only one large manufacturing facility in New Jersey . Before the digital workflow possibilities that exist via 3D printing , this company would either have to hold large stocks of spare parts in costly and extensive warehouse facilities , and take on the expense of shipping them all over the world , or would just not provide a spare parts service which would have a significant impact on customer retention . Today , that company can hold an array of spare part design files in the cloud , make amends to them over time to enhance their look , feel , or effectiveness , have them printedon-demand by 3DPRINTUK for all UK customers ( and by equivalent 3DP service suppliers in other countries ), and they can be delivered in the hands of a customer in as little as 3 working days .”
3DPRINTUK welcomes the opportunity to discuss how it can help to streamline the approach of manufacturers to inventory , and at the same time enhance their agility and responsiveness to customer demand .
For further information , please visit 3dprintuk . co . uk
10 PECM Issue 51