The Power of 3D Printed Manufacturing Tools
Technology has evolved massively over the last few years. So much so, that we are now able to print real, life sized buildings and architectural structures. This process is known as 3D Printing. With the help of this process, you can create 3D Printed Manufacturing Tools that can be leveraged to help improve the operations, quality of the products and to decrease cycle time and reduce costs.
3D printed manufacturing tools can range from organizational bins and tool holders that maximize production efficiency to templates, guides and gauges to quickly check production quality.
Printed manufacturing tools can be highly beneficial to your business in the following ways:
#1. Shorten the lead time
3D Printing has a massive time saving advantage. It has a very short lead time for the production process. Manufacturing a tool in a few days or even a few hours is made very simple because of this process. This in turn helps reduce time taken for production and decision making.
#2. Reduce Costs
The cost of a 3D printed object is almost the same for one object or for thousands of units so there is no additional cost compared to the traditional manufacturing techniques. Therefore, businesses have the power to reduce the development cost of a product thanks to unique tools.
#3. Optimize Existing tools
Designing for 3D printing allows you to improve and optimize the existing tools with features that can only be produced by additive manufacturing. This enables you to ease your processes and fight the limitations of the traditional techniques.
#4. Create Custom tools
3D printing allows you to manufacture items layer by layer, which is the main advantage of 3D printing over the traditional manufacturing techniques. It allows creating unique and customized tools to answer specific requests and needs in a very short time and for a fixed cost. With 3D printing, you have the power to:
- Improve process throughput
- Lower inventory costs by producing on demand
- Re-apply skilled workers more productively
- Reduce scrap and rework
Businesses undergo multiple paradigm shifts. These change the way the business is managed and the impact that the processes have on achieving the goals. 3D printing is one such paradigm shift that has taken the B-world by storm.
Not only does this approach reduce costs, time is taken and labour, it also is a very handy method. Sometimes, there are tools that companies may not use that often. This is when the print-on-demand approach is beneficial, wherein you simply make a tool when it’s needed, and then digitally warehouse its design for future use. This also helps if you want to replace a broken tool or when you need duplicates to meet increased production demand.
3D printed manufacturing tools bring expertise, flexibility and finishing services that accelerate results. They are the solution to maximizing production efficiency and profits by driving out every wasted second and penny from the manufacturing process.
While 3D printing is a disrupting force, it is not a replacement for traditional manufacturing methods. Instead, it is a complementary technology that adds value to your current process and opens you up to new possibilities.
