Once a disruptive technology, 3D printing has been in use for several years now and has grown beyond its niche status. This increasing mainstream adoption raises the question — has 3D printing in engineering become a key differentiator? Are firms that don’t use it at a disadvantage?
Businesses should ask themselves these questions to determine where to go from here. In that spirit, here’s a closer look at additive manufacturing’s impact on the engineering industry.
How common is 3D printing in engineering?
Rapid adoption is the first clue that engineering firms may be at a disadvantage without 3D printing. The engineering industry currently has the third-highest 3D printing adoption rate at 41%, falling just five percentage points behind research and development — the leading adopter.
While businesses using additive manufacturing account for less than half the sector, they’re not far behind this mark. It’s also worth noting how rapid this growth has been. The same market report found the number of companies with in-house 3D printers almost quadrupled in just three years.
Based on industry adoption alone, organizations don’t necessarily fall behind their competitors if they don’t use this technology. However, if current trends persist, most of the sector will soon embrace 3D printing in engineering. When that happens, the competitive gap may grow.
How do 3D printing firms fare compared to competitors?
Of course, commonality alone does not indicate whether businesses should consider additive manufacturing. The companies that rely on this technology exhibit several important advantages over those using more conventional alternatives.
Efficiency
One of the most popular drivers behind 3D printing is its efficiency. Because additive manufacturing deposits material instead of removing it, it encounters less friction as it works. Consequently, it takes less force and experiences fewer obstacles to create a product, resulting in faster turnaround times.
Many 3D printers connect directly to CAD software, further streamlining lead times. Engineers can choose from available CAD drawings to plug into a printer and produce immediately. Because the actual layering process is automated, they can do this while accomplishing other work, further boosting productivity. Automation also means 3D printing is less likely to produce errors. As a result, engineering firms lose less time to scrap and rework.
Profitability
Organizations using 3D printing in engineering also tend to enjoy lower ongoing expenses. While the necessary equipment costs more upfront, it’s more cost-effective in the long run.
Much of this profitability stems from 3D printing’s speed. Minimizing the risk of errors helps, too. Beyond that, additive manufacturing is less wasteful than machining because all resources used go directly to the product. There are no scraps or shavings because printers do not remove material. Consequently, engineers can design more with fewer resources.
As printing technology has evolved, these benefits have extended to new products and workflows, ensuring even more savings. To reduce production time and costs associated with electronics components, manufacturers can utilize 3D printing and apply a silver coating to the surface to enable conductivity.
Niche markets
It’s also important to consider how 3D printing lets engineering firms break into new markets. Additive manufacturing does more than perform existing capabilities better — it grants businesses new ones. The ability to create novel products and structures helps companies using this technology thrive in niches with less competition.
With large-scale printers, teams can construct houses in as little as 45 days. Medical device engineers can use biofilaments to replicate tissue for prosthetics or less intrusive implantables. Opportunities like these keep growing as additive manufacturing technology advances, too.
Advanced solutions like these meet the needs of underserved audiences or provide new benefits that surpass the competition. In either case, the potential is hard to overlook as the engineering field becomes increasingly crowded.
The future of 3D printing in engineering
The use of 3D printing in engineering is also evolving. Businesses must consider developing applications and possibilities to understand how this technology could further disrupt the industry.
One of the most promising future developments is 4D printing, which prints in smart materials that change their shape over time. While this practice is still in its early stages, researchers have already created 4D-printed items showcasing increased flexibility, strength or functionality. Such products are most helpful for robotics and medical engineers.
3D-printed circuitry is another field with significant promise. Conductive inks let electronics engineers create more intricate circuits with fewer errors in less time. 3D printing’s precision is important here, as it enables smaller components than previously possible. A recent NASA experiment printed traces just 30 microns across — half the width of a human hair.
Breakthroughs like these suggest additive manufacturing is far from its peak. Engineering businesses may want to capitalize on the technology before it reaches that point.
Capitalize on 3D printing in engineering today
In light of all these considerations, engineering firms are not necessarily disadvantaged by not using 3D printing. However, that will change before long. Additive manufacturing is quickly reaching mainstream adoption and grants significant advantages to the companies using it.
Getting ahead of 3D printing’s future trajectory today will help engineers stay afloat in the future. Today’s competitive advantage will be tomorrow’s baseline for success.
——Source: https://www.eetasia.com/