3D Printing: A Game Changer for Overcoming Supply Chain Delays
With supply chains under pressure from rising costs and global uncertainty, more manufacturers are turning to 3D printing to stay on track. Whether it’s making replacement parts on the fly or customizing components, the technology is helping industries like automotive and medical keep things moving. We caught up with Michael Baker, Head of Communications at Formlabs, to learn how 3D printing is making supply chains more flexible and resilient.
Supply Chain 24/7: How has 3D printing evolved in recent years to become a useful tool for supply chain operations?
Michael Baker: 3D printing has become more affordable, accessible, and much faster, making it an increasingly popular tool for a variety of manufacturing purposes, including as a stop-gap solution to supply chain disruptions. By adding 3D printers to on-site facilities, manufacturers in medical, automotive, or other industries can utilize additive manufacturing to print tools, jigs, fixtures, or even end-use and replacement parts on demand to solve disruptions with less downtime and at a lower cost.
Additionally, new 3D printing materials with superior mechanical properties allow manufacturers to use 3D printing for parts that would have historically had to be machined or made with traditional—slower and more expensive—processes.
SC247: What are the benefits of using 3D printers to address supply chain disruptions?
MB: 3D printing empowers manufacturers to overcome supply chain uncertainty and mitigate risk through flexible, stop-gap production. Instead of keeping a costly stock of backup tools and parts, in-house 3D printers are a cost-effective and agile way to address supply chain issues without slowing down production.
Michael Baker of Formlabs
A single 3D printer can prevent a total manufacturing shutdown by printing end-use parts rather than leaving manufacturers at the mercy of delayed materials. If a piece of equipment malfunctions, replacement parts, jigs, and fixtures can be 3D printed on-demand within a few hours instead of the days or even weeks it could take for…
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