TECH & AI
traditional manufacturing makes sense . But complex products are , by their nature , composed of many sub-components , and 3D printing makes it possible for a printed product to be infinitely more complex in structure .
“ The pandemic made global suppliers and consumers more aware that timeliness is critical in moving goods from one place to another , particularly from one side of the world to the other .”
Unkovic says that the pandemic showed us that a product manufactured in China isn ’ t guaranteed to arrive in the US or anywhere else in a timely fashion .
“ Companies that desperately need key components are incentivised to look to 3D printing to fill the gaps ,” he says . He also points out that today ’ s consumer is less happy to buy massproduced goods , increasingly looking for personally tailored products instead .
“ A strength of 3D printing is that any item can be redesigned or changed in subtle or significant ways without the cost of major retooling ,” Unkovic says . “ 3D printing was once slow and limited , but it has now advanced to the point where multi-jet fusion printers can produce thousands of parts at speed , while server farms can now power hundreds of 3D printers that are available for use from dedicated suppliers .”
Certainly , major moves are being made on the AM front . Recently , General Motors , Siemens , and Airbus Defence and Space joined major industrial manufacturing company Stratasys for a roundtable to discuss 3D printing , and we are starting to see far more of these kinds of events .
It seems Unkovic and Bromberger might be gazing into a future that is already here . supplychaindigital . com 119