An hour into the second of three Government Views Keynote panel classes at RAPID + TCT, there was a faucet on my shoulder.
The CEO of an additive manufacturing (AM) software program agency leant in, with a hushed voice, and remarked how refreshing it was to see somebody staunchly specific a controversial opinion.
Up on stage had been 5 AM enterprise leaders, offering their views on a spread of {industry} developments and speaking factors. Although it could be conference for the contributors of such panels to be diplomatic, to be tactful and to skirt the sides, this one was totally different.
As DMG Mori Common Supervisor Nils Niemeyer grappled with the realities of distributed additive manufacturing, protecting the real-world challenges however emphasising the theoretical upside, Materialise founder Fried Vancraen uttered the not often heard phrase: “Enable me to disagree.”
“I believe,” he went on to say, “that distributed manufacturing is without doubt one of the most false narratives of our {industry}.” Leveraging his close to 40 years of expertise within the AM sector, Vancraen went on: “When you have a look at what has actually labored on this {industry}, it’s the larger centres the place a variety of competence is constructed up in a sure utility, not shifting from medical implants to aerospace engines.” He was pulling no punches: “It’s merely not working. It’s a unique setting. It’s totally different post-processing. It’s a unique mindset. I’ve seen each decade of this {industry}, total corporations betting on distributed manufacturing and going bankrupt, time after time.”
It hasn’t, although, deterred others from taking up the problem of establishing distributed manufacturing networks within the hope of proving the exception to the rule.
There are a lot of methods to face up a distributed manufacturing mannequin. A ‘versatile community’ method, as referenced by a current ACAM Aachen Centre for Additive Manufacturing and Boston Consulting Group report, consists of unbiased vegetation that may produce the same product vary, serving to to steadiness capability between websites. The ‘hub and spoke’ mannequin sees core manufacturing steps concentrated at one or just a few places, with closing manufacturing steps executed nearer to the purpose of consumption, whereas ‘native for native’ is basically native manufacturing for native markets.
Every flavour of distributed manufacturing is made up of a dispersed community of services and guarantees decreased stock, potential value financial savings, resilience towards provide chain disruption, and the flexibleness to supply elements the place it most is sensible. However greater than that, in response to 3YOURMIND VP, North America William Cuervo, they provide producers the initiative to take management.
“Given how lengthy leads instances are and the way delicate the availability chain is, the most important benefit shouldn’t be having to attend round for an replace [from your suppliers],” he informed TCT. “They will faucet into industry-ready companies and capabilities which can be at their disposal, whether or not that be internally, via a tutorial establishment, or via a contract producer.”
Once you add all of it up, it’s no marvel that so many corporations over time have championed the potential of distributed AM, and arrange their companies to undertake such approaches. Vancraen would recommend that the majority of those outfits have failed to attain a lot success, however is that right down to thought, execution or hype?
Dr-Ing Wilderich Heising, Associate & Affiliate Director at Boston Consulting Group, suggests the communication round distributed AM can’t be ignored, whereas Cuervo has ideas on their implementation.
“AM shouldn’t be a panacea to resolve the world’s issues, and distributed manufacturing shouldn’t be that miracle remedy both,” Heising stated. “What we’ve seen with AM during the last ten years was a very large hype; we had been exaggerating the chances and which may have occurred with the decentralised narrative too.”
Cuervo added: “Decentralised and distributed manufacturing might be a false pipe dream, however so can AM should you’re not doing it for the precise causes and also you’re not in contact with the how and the why you’re taking a look at this within the first place.”
That is the primary large hurdle for producers making an attempt to implement distributed additive manufacturing networks and there are extra down the observe. A decentralised method received’t get off the bottom with out deep thought into why and the way, however even as soon as that’s discovered, there may be nonetheless the funding in capital tools, identification of companions and suppliers, and, should you’re working in sure industries, regulatory constraints and data switch. A provide chain that revolves round one fastened manufacturing web site is advanced, not to mention one which serves a number of services in a number of areas.
There are alternatives although. Markforged CEO Shai Terem wasn’t shy in making that time at RAPID + TCT (see our featured case examine under for extra) and Replique can level to a number of examples. One in all which is a collaboration with MAN Truck & Bus, the place Replique produced a number of spare elements for a marine diesel engine. The unique producer was now not out there, however Replique was capable of rapidly establish an appropriate manufacturing associate to fulfil the order with minimised downtime. Alstom, Miele and RehaMedPower are others that Replique has supported with a decentralised method, noting what number of prospects demand the manufacturing of elements near the purpose of want.
When Vancraen made his remark about corporations failing to make a hit of distributed AM approaches that catered for a wide range of industries, corporations like Replique had been dropped at thoughts. Decentralisation and distribution are core to Replique’s method, whereas its tagline – trusted elements for everybody, all over the place – suggests there is no such thing as a {industry} the service supplier received’t serve.
At a excessive degree, they appear the type of firm liable to struggling the identical pitfalls as these Vancraen has seen rise and fall during the last 4 a long time. However while you dig into how its course of works, it reveals an organization that has doubtless learnt from the errors of others. Replique has assembled a spread of specialist producers in varied industries (250 throughout six continents), moderately than manufacturing websites that ‘have a variety of competence in every little thing,’ with its framework figuring out the most effective associate for no matter job has introduced itself. The corporate’s software program platform additionally paperwork the digital twin and historical past of each half to make sure high quality assurance and course of stability.
“We don’t view distributed manufacturing as a simplistic method,” Replique CEO Max Siebert stated. “For us, it’s about having decentralised capacities whereas centralising experience. When executed proper, this method allows corporations to scale effectively with out sacrificing high quality.”
This sort of arrange may be the place Vancraen can be keen to bend on his evaluation of distributed AM. As counter factors had been made, he conceded there can be gray areas the place corporations had been reaching success. And it’s factor too. Though Covid-19 was in all probability the most important provide chain disruption of the final century, they haven’t precisely slowed down since 2020. Blockages within the Suez Canal, Typhoons in Shanghai and ongoing worldwide conflicts have solely underscored the significance of provide chain flexibility.
Simply as properly then that there are promising indicators from the likes of Replique.
“As product selection continues to develop and the demand for elements will increase, the significance of decentralised and on-demand manufacturing will rise to keep up flexibility for various manufacturing wants,” Siebert completed. “Whereas AM received’t be the one manufacturing methodology, it’s undoubtedly changing into a go-to method for elements the place its advantages are most evident.”
Provide chain case examine – Vestas
For 3 years now, wind turbine producer Vestas has been working with Markforged and Würth to construct out a distributed additive manufacturing community. The corporate’s distributed manufacturing infrastructure features a digital stock of greater than 5,000 Vestas elements and a fleet of Markforged machines working throughout a number of manufacturing websites.
Beforehand, Vestas was counting on exterior suppliers to fabricate important elements like high centre marking instruments and lightning tip receptors, enduring the weeks-long lead instances and risking the potential for parts to fail closing inspection. Now, Vestas has introduced the manufacturing of those elements in-house, permitting any particular person with the precise permissions to scan a component code or search the ERP system and ship print information to probably the most appropriate Markforged machine. Management is centralised, however manufacturing is decentralised.
“Distributed manufacturing is already beginning to occur,” Markforged CEO Shai Terem stated at RAPID + TCT. “Level of want manufacturing, when you may, is nice, and while you can’t, you’ve a centralised location. Vestas has 8,000 instruments required to [manufacture’ these big wind turbines, and 5,000 of them are on a digital library now, printed at the point of need. Printers are being controlled from some central place, they control the library, control the process of how to certify, how to upload them to the digital library, and then they’re printed where needed by the most efficient way to do it.”
This article originally appeared inside TCT Europe Edition Vol. 32 Issue 6 and TCT North American Edition Vol. 10 Issue 6. Subscribe here to receive your FREE print copy of TCT Magazine, delivered to your door six times a year.
