Additive manufacturing uses digital files to create whole systems, parts, and objects. This allows companies to produce complicated machinery or other devices at a very low cost. This process can also be used to reduce production costs and speed up the time to market. This is possible because the process does not require casting or forging or any other traditional methods of production.
The benefits of additive manufacturing extend beyond manufacturers, suppliers, and communities. They also benefit consumers who can purchase products that are innovative. 3D printing has been adopted by several Fortune 500 companies. Biden Administration is launching a new initiative that will help manufacturing companies of all sizes to adopt additive manufacturing.
AM Forward is a public-private initiative that aims to encourage the use of additive manufacturing by developing standards and common practices, establishing an open-market for additive-manufactured parts, and addressing supply chain issues. It is led five large U.S. manufacturing companies: General Electric Aviation. Honeywell. Lockheed Martin. Raytheon. And Siemens Energy. These firms are partnering with the DOE Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is a national facility that provides access to a range of additive-manufacturing technologies.
OEMs will work with other firms to create standard specifications and develop technical solutions for industry challenges. They will also offer technical assistance to U.S. suppliers through the AM Forward Pact. Other large corporations are expected join the initiative over the next few years.
One of the major players involved in AM Forward is the NEO Additive Manufacturing Cluster of Ohio, which works to accelerate the adoption of additive-manufacturing technologies. Ohio has a solid base of skilled engineers and scientists making it an ideal place for additive manufacturing businesses.
America Makes is another important participant. This program partners with academia, industry, economic development resources, and workforce training programs to encourage the adoption of additive-manufacturing by a wide range of sectors. Many university programs now exist for additive-manufacturing.
Other government programs are available to help with the adoption of additive production, such as the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Programs offered by the Department of Labor to support small manufacturers include technical support, financing, and even financial assistance.
Many of these programs are designed to help overcome common market failures. Small manufacturers may face many obstacles that prevent them from obtaining affordable financing or access to the latest industry-standard technology. Similarly, some customers may not be willing to commit to purchasing from companies that invest in additive-manufacturing technologies.
Some of the most innovative additive-manufacturing firms in the country are located in Ohio. Desktop Metal is an industrial additive-manufacturing company that offers metal 3-D printing and machining services to manufacturers and designers. Jonco Industries, Inc. offers a range of fabrication services, such as rapid prototyping, design and prototyping, and high volume surface finishing. PostPro3D is an automated surface finishing company.
Besides collaborating with the Federal Government, other industry organizations are working to increase the adoption of additive-manufacturing. The Fraunhofer Institute is a leading institution for the development of additive-manufacturing technology.
FAQ
Why automate your factory?
Modern warehousing has seen automation take center stage. E-commerce has brought increased demand for more efficient and quicker delivery times.
Warehouses must adapt quickly to meet changing customer needs. They must invest heavily in technology to do this. The benefits of automating warehouses are numerous. Here are some benefits of investing in automation
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Increases throughput/productivity
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Reduces errors
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Increases accuracy
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Boosts safety
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Eliminates bottlenecks
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This allows companies to scale easily
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Makes workers more efficient
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Provides visibility into everything that happens in the warehouse
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Enhances customer experience
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Improves employee satisfaction
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It reduces downtime, and increases uptime
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Ensures quality products are delivered on time
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Removes human error
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This helps to ensure compliance with regulations
How important is automation in manufacturing?
Not only are service providers and manufacturers important, but so is automation. It allows them to offer services faster and more efficiently. They can also reduce their costs by reducing human error and improving productivity.
How can efficiency in manufacturing be improved?
The first step is to identify the most important factors affecting production time. Next, we must find ways to improve those factors. If you don't know where to start, then think about which factor(s) have the biggest impact on production time. Once you've identified them, try to find solutions for each of those factors.
What skills should a production planner have?
To become a successful production planner, you need to be organized, flexible, and able to multitask. You must also be able to communicate effectively with clients and colleagues.
Why is logistics important for manufacturing?
Logistics is an integral part of every business. They enable you to achieve outstanding results by helping manage product flow from raw materials through to finished goods.
Logistics also play a major role in reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
What are the 4 types manufacturing?
Manufacturing is the process that transforms raw materials into useful products. It includes many different activities like designing, building and testing, packaging, shipping and selling, as well as servicing.
What is the role of a production manager?
A production planner makes sure all project elements are delivered on schedule, within budget, as well as within the agreed scope. They ensure that the product or service is of high quality and meets client requirements.
Statistics
- In the United States, for example, manufacturing makes up 15% of the economic output. (twi-global.com)
- Job #1 is delivering the ordered product according to specifications: color, size, brand, and quantity. (netsuite.com)
- You can multiply the result by 100 to get the total percent of monthly overhead. (investopedia.com)
- Many factories witnessed a 30% increase in output due to the shift to electric motors. (en.wikipedia.org)
- According to a Statista study, U.S. businesses spent $1.63 trillion on logistics in 2019, moving goods from origin to end user through various supply chain network segments. (netsuite.com)
External Links
How To
How to use the Just-In Time Method in Production
Just-intime (JIT), a method used to lower costs and improve efficiency in business processes, is called just-in-time. It is a process where you get the right amount of resources at the right moment when they are needed. This means you only pay what you use. Frederick Taylor, a 1900s foreman, first coined the term. Taylor observed that overtime was paid to workers if they were late in working. He realized that workers should have enough time to complete their jobs before they begin work. This would help increase productivity.
JIT teaches you to plan ahead and prepare everything so you don’t waste time. Look at your entire project, from start to end. Make sure you have enough resources in place to deal with any unexpected problems. If you anticipate that there might be problems, you'll have enough people and equipment to fix them. This will prevent you from spending extra money on unnecessary things.
There are many JIT methods.
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Demand-driven JIT: You order the parts and materials you need for your project every other day. This will enable you to keep track of how much material is left after you use it. This will allow you to calculate how long it will take to make more.
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Inventory-based: This type allows you to stock the materials needed for your projects ahead of time. This allows one to predict how much they will sell.
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Project-driven: This is an approach where you set aside enough funds to cover the cost of your project. You will be able to purchase the right amount of materials if you know what you need.
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Resource-based JIT: This type of JIT is most commonly used. You assign certain resources based off demand. You might assign more people to help with orders if there are many. If there aren't many orders, you will assign fewer people.
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Cost-based : This is similar in concept to resource-based. But here, you aren't concerned about how many people your company has but how much each individual costs.
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Price-based: This approach is very similar to the cost-based method except that you don't look at individual workers costs but the total cost of the company.
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Material-based: This is quite similar to cost-based, but instead of looking at the total cost of the company, you're concerned with how much raw materials you spend on average.
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Time-based JIT: A variation on resource-based JIT. Instead of focusing only on how much each employee is costing, you should focus on how long it takes to complete your project.
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Quality-based JIT: This is another variation of resource based JIT. Instead of focusing on the cost of each worker or how long it takes, think about how high quality your product is.
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Value-based: This is one of the newest forms of JIT. This is where you don't care about how the products perform or whether they meet customers' expectations. Instead, you're focused on how much value you add to the market.
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Stock-based. This method is inventory-based and focuses only on the actual production at any given point. This is used to increase production and minimize inventory.
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Just-in-time planning (JIT): This is a combination JIT and supply-chain management. This refers to the scheduling of the delivery of components as soon after they are ordered. It reduces lead times and improves throughput.