Additive Manufacturing

3D Printing For Low Volume Productions

As advances in materials and speed are made in additive manufacturing technologies, the opportunity to use these processes for low-volume manufacturing is realised. One of the primary benefits of a process like additive 3D printing is generating parts as you need them (just-in-time production).

Parts can be printed digitally allowing for the ability to make changes during production without incurring delays or tooling modifications. An additional strength of additive 3D printing is the ability to make highly customised parts without a need to modify tooling.

Material properties of selective laser sintering (SLS) and HP Multi Jet 3D printing are ideal for producing production quality parts.

Applications & Benefits:

• Additive Manufacturing excels at producing parts with weight-saving, complex geometries that maximise part strength.
• Economical option for low volume manufacture (no tooling costs).
• Design flexibility – once impossible design concepts are now being successfully re-imagined. Additive manufacturing offers a more dynamic, design-driven process.
• Part consolidation – parts once created from multiple assembled pieces are now fabricated as a single part.
• Possible to make design alterations on the run, without incurring additional cost.

Case Studies:

• GoProto’s Digital Warehouse Eliminates Inventory Costs to Allow for a lean & Agile Supply Operation