Additive Manufacturing
I guess I shouldn't be surprised that most are skeptical. However, I find it humorous that respondents are concerned about product quality, yet cite the main uses today are medical and aerospace. Does that mean a papermachine's components are more critical and manufactured to higher standards than in the medical or aerospace industries? One respondent thinks I am gleefully trying to take profits away from machinery manufacturers. I hope not, we depend on suppliers for advertising revenues! Friends, all things reduce to the lowest cost for the quality required and they do that very quickly. In this case, I think most mills will be making high-strength metallic parts on site no later than 2020. Again, look how fast the PC overwhelmed the workplace. In this case, the skill level of the worker replaced will be much lower than the skill level of the worker now making parts, that will drive this quickly, first in the machinery manufacturer's own shops. The warning to machinery manufacturers is to prepare for this and plan on changing your business model to protect your longevity for the source of profits in spare parts is certainly going to diminish soon. Here are the questions and the answers: Questioin 1: Are you familiar with additive manufacturing and 3-D printing? 58.3% YES 41.7% NO Question 2: What ways can you think of to use additive manufacturing in your mill? - At the moment, small non-critical parts could be made instead of purchased - Reducing stores - In projects to show how things are going to be in a rebuild for example - To manufacture spare parts at site,reduce inventory cost & space and - Spares, needed in a hurry. Probably mostly small plastic parts that are tricky - Combined with 3-D imaging to scan a part and then integrate with add. mfg/3- - Great for plastic parts - Coupling elements, plastic switchgear components, plastic pump parts, Question 3: What pitfalls do you see to additive manufacturing? - Patent infringement - Missing key components of equipment resulting in failures. Difficulty getting - Long downtime when parts are been made - 1.Highly skilled manpower is required. 2.invetment required for faciities for - The hype is far exceeding current capability, and some of the predictions will - We are still a VERY long way from making high strength components, but it - Being sure that the final product is 'finished' in such a manner as to achieve - Technology for steel parts, especially parts for high wear applications such as - Testing components for strength etc
Thank you for participating! This week's quiz is here. Want to get a jump on the surveys? Follow me on twitter, where they are posted early. You can do this here. (note: all respondents are confidential; the software is programmed in such a way that neither we nor anyone else can determine who responded) ### Want to be heard on other subjects? Be sure to watch for "Paperitalo Second Tuesday Surveys."
|