FEATURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING/ 3D PRINTING A sustainable
manufacturing technology
O
ver the last 12 months, everyone involved in
manufacturing and supply chains has had good reason to think about how to protect their production flows and make them more efficient. A change was already taking place, with distributed production demonstrating what could be achieved
through the pandemic, but can it really be a sustainable solution? There is, however, the potential to change structures for the better – and
industrial 3D printing can play a vital role. Additive manufacturing is not yet the solution for millions of units of mass production, nor can it make up for past failures at the touch of a button. But, if you want to prepare for the future, you’d better start yesterday as opposed to today. Industrial 3D printing allows for demand-driven production, streamlines
processes, and makes the supply chain more robust. Products can be improved or created with regard to their complexity, functional integration, or lightweight construction. Combining industrial 3D printing with digital manufacturing structures that link machines and production control software systems in globally dispersed locations results in new levels of transparency thanks to real-time reporting, flexibility, and performance. Ultimately though, the form distributed production takes for any business must be defined based on the company’s situation and strategy, but broadly speaking there are three basic models that can be adopted: • Global additive manufacturing structures – In order to maintain a
high vertical range of manufacturing within a company and maintain full independence, company built and owned AM cells can be set up worldwide. Thanks to profound networking, it is possible to integrate and control distributed production on a global scale across every location and machine. • Integrating 3D printing at local manufacturing sites – For flexible
design and production, 3D printing can be integrated into existing local manufacturing structures and networked using the appropriate software system. Monitoring of the AM process provides insight into construction progress and quality at all times. • Use of individual 3D printing systems – For those not wanting to
build large distributed production structures, individual 3D printing systems can be implemented in suitable locations around the globe. This allows direct delivery to end customers and significantly reduces warehousing and logistics costs, by producing products on demand.
SPANNING THE PRODUCT LIFECYCLE Additive manufacturing can span the whole product lifecycle: from design to prototyping, production and after-market spares. At its heart it is a digital process with value creation starting in product development, which enjoys a high degree of design freedom through 3D printing, with designs very quickly optimised. This means products can be brought to market and tested ‘in market’ very quickly. These final products are transferred as digital files to production control, which could be anywhere in the world. Cloud-based software is used to control the production process, giving comprehensive reporting across all machines and the production process as well as complete traceability of build cycles/parts. These are crucial components of series production along with quality control, and the reality is that distance does not mean loss of transparency.
32 MAY 2021 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS Dr Marius Lakomiec from EOS examines
how 3D printing allows for demand-driven production, streamlines processes, and makes the supply chain more robust
A production island designed in this way is not closed off in any direction
– there are interfaces that can be automated in any direction. This means that the connection to superordinate software systems at the manufacturer (MES, ERP, SAP) and thus automated job processing are possible, as well as the connection to other production processes and stations. Digital control also provides the basis for the self-optimisation of
production using digital twins. The idea behind this is that digitally networked machines use intelligent algorithms to create a self-optimising network – in other words, digital intelligence enters the production chain. Parameters are recorded in real-time on every part produced, creating digital twins of each. After ten weeks of production, for example, different parameters can be compared for 100,000 digital twins and modified in simulations to identify any potential for improvement. The system plays through which change has what effect on the result – to find the best way to optimise itself in the eleventh week.
THE FUTURE The transparency, flexibility and control offered by 3D printing means that it is consistently sustainable as a manufacturing technology. There is no waste of material, because only as much as used is actually needed. When a manufacturing operation is digitally networked and built globally, the material cycle becomes local and the end products are manufactured closer to the customer – massively reducing transport routes and CO2
emissions. Recent events are leading all manufacturers to realise they may not
be as flexible as they realised, and this has allowed 3D printing to shine on the global stage. A technology once seen as only suitable for prototyping is dealing with these challenges head on and leading to evolutions in product design and manufacturing that simply are not possible with traditional techniques.
EOS
www.eos.info/en
A USER FRIENDLY INDUSTRIAL 3D PRINTER FOR LOW-VOLUME PRODUCTION AND RAPID PROTOTYPING
New from Zmorph is the i500 industrial 3D printer, which is designed for cost-effective low-volume production, custom tooling, and rapid prototyping. Offering reliability, high-performance and a large printing volume, this is suitable for industrial professionals including manufacturers and engineers in industries such as automotive, R&D, aerospace, production, and military. Its 500 x 460 x 300mm printing volume enables it to print multiple parts simultaneously or create large models, and its Dual Drive Dual Extruder featuring Nozzle Lifting System works with various sensors to deliver repeatable and high-quality results. The 3D printer features an ergonomic touch panel which offers a
user-friendly UI to Filament Flow System. The operator simply starts the project and waits for the results. The machine sensors monitor the smooth flow of material and indicate any obstacles. To maximise uptime and throughput, the Zmorph i500 features a
Distributed Control System, making servicing much easier and faster, as there is easy access to each subassembly. Developed with safety in mind, it features an electric door lock to
prevent unauthorised access during operation; the Air Flow System filters fumes and particles from the printer; and it also features a removable Wi-Fi module.
Zmorph
https://zmorph3d.com/ / DESIGNSOLUTIONS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
