Shipping Models and Spare Parts When Using a 3D Printer
Ray hears a mysterious voice in the field saying, “If you build it, he will come.” He doesn’t understand what the voice wants from him, and the environment begins to question his sanity until he realizes that his destiny in life is to build a baseball field.
How does this famous scene from the Field of Dreams relate to 3D printers and the world of shipping? We can summarize the revolution of 3D printing in one sentence – “What you can design, you can print.” Starting from spare parts for machines on production lines, through prototypes for technological advancements, to prosthetics and artificial eyes. All these things can be printed today using 3D printing. In the past, when a spare part in the production line malfunctioned, it had to be ordered from the factory that manufactured the machine, which took around 60 days for delivery. Today, many companies have 3D printers located near their production lines.
Instead of waiting for the replacement part to be shipped from China for 60 days, it is now possible to 3D print the replacement part in less than 24 hours. Rather than holding an infinite inventory of spare parts for your customers (such as a car mirror cover), you can produce the mirror cover based on orders. This saves storage space and money, as the production cost of a single item is significantly cheaper than storing thousands of items or ordering the same part from an external supplier. Stratasys, a company specializing in 3D printing solutions, installed machines in Volvo’s production lines and saved them 92% of the production costs for functional prototypes.
How?
In traditional manufacturing methods, the design of the prototype was sent to external plastic/metal manufacturers. The production cost of a single prototype was exceptionally high, and the delivery time was long. Designers had to wait. With 3D printing, developers can make on-the-go attempts, see what didn’t work, and return to the drawing board within a few hours.
Looking at the impact of the 3D printing world on the supply chain, one can argue that it will affect the volume of activity in the shipping world. However, on the other hand, the advantages in terms of warehouse management and troubleshooting can lead to significant cost savings! A wing of a drone got damaged? A wheel of a multi-shuttle went out of place? There’s no need to order, simply print it, and if you build the replacement part, it will come.
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Instead of waiting for the replacement part to be shipped from China for 60 days, it is now possible to 3D print the replacement part in less than 24 hours. Rather than holding an infinite inventory of spare parts for your customers (such as a car mirror cover), you can produce the mirror cover based on orders. This saves storage space and money, as the production cost of a single item is significantly cheaper than storing thousands of items or ordering the same part from an external supplier. Stratasys, a company specializing in 3D printing solutions, installed machines in Volvo’s production lines and saved them 92% of the production costs for functional prototypes.
How?
In traditional manufacturing methods, the design of the prototype was sent to external plastic/metal manufacturers. The production cost of a single prototype was exceptionally high, and the delivery time was long. Designers had to wait. With 3D printing, developers can make on-the-go attempts, see what didn’t work, and return to the drawing board within a few hours.
Looking at the impact of the 3D printing world on the supply chain, one can argue that it will affect the volume of activity in the shipping world. However, on the other hand, the advantages in terms of warehouse management and troubleshooting can lead to significant cost savings! A wing of a drone got damaged? A wheel of a multi-shuttle went out of place? There’s no need to order, simply print it, and if you build the replacement part, it will come.
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