TECH & AI
“3D printing makes it possible for a printed product to be infinitely more complex in structure ” DENNIS UNKOVIC US LAWYER & AUTHOR
There are , however , other means of shortening supply chains – one of which is 3D printing , also known as additive manufacturing ( AM ).
AM technology started out as a way to produce prototypes with no machine tooling , but , over the past decade , it has evolved rapidly . An early drawback was that the process worked only with plastics ; now , though , substances that can be printed include powders , resins , metals , carbon and even human flesh .
In a report exploring the status of 3D printing – called The Mainstreaming of Additive Manufacturing , co-author Jörg Bromberger , Director of Strategy & Operations – points out that AM technology can generate any 3D component that will perform better and cost less than conventional manufacturing methods .
3D printing allows for massscale customisation He also highlights there ’ s no need for moulds or fixed tooling , and that it also allows for mass-scale customisation . Such simplicity of fabrication , he continues , reduces timeto-market and the need for spare-parts inventories , enabling the on-demand production of items from digital files in the field . Bromberger cites the example of carmaker Mercedes-Benz , which uses AM to produce spare parts for its classic vehicles .
The tech has the huge potential to help businesses reimagine manufacturing-based supply chains , and Bromberger feels that the technology is approaching the point where it is becoming disruptive : “ When can
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