Reinforce Your Supply Chain with Open Ecosystem Additive Manufacturing

If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that supply chains can be disrupted suddenly and without any indication of how long the interruption will last. Manufacturers need to have a Plan B to keep their factory floors humming in the event of a disruption to their sources of raw materials, parts, and tools. This is even more critical for companies sourcing components from global suppliers.

To be clear, 3D printing cannot and will not totally displace traditional mass manufacturing methods. Additive manufacturing is not intended to replace CNC machines or injection molding. However, if a manufacturer can enhance its own level of self-sufficiency by being able to produce at least some of the parts and tools needed to maintain operations internally, they will be in a stronger position to weather any disruption to their supply chain.

3D printing is an excellent alternative for manufacturers to substitute for missing links in the supply chain caused by events beyond their control such as disease, war, or natural disaster. Rather than wait for a part or tool to arrive from overseas to repair a machine, print the replacement in-house. Don’t wait for the factory in China to reopen; additive manufacturing can step in to make quantities of widgets at scale, or at least make a temporary mold to make the widgets to keep the assembly lines moving until a true replacement mold can be made.

With 3D printing, manufacturers can streamline and consolidate the supply chain. With the proper in-house expertise to design a part or tool to their own exacting specifications, purchasing agents no longer need to vet new suppliers, negotiate pricing and solicit bids, or manage transportation logistics and costs. Simply purchase the best filament materials identified for the job and produce needed tools or part quantities directly.

And therein lies three key advantages of Essentium’s vision for additive manufacturing:

• Versatility. The Essentium HSE 3D Printer is a single yet versatile system capable of producing many things. It stands ready to print ESD-safe components one day, and chemical- or heat-resistant tools and fixtures the next. There are no weeks-long delays to retool production lines to make a different part.
• Open ecosystem. The Essentium HSE 180•S Series prints using a wide variety of extrusion materials from flexible rubber-like filaments to nylon-reinforced carbon fiber with the strength of steel. And not just materials from Essentium, but from any supplier. Our open ecosystem approach means manufacturers can save space and money by having a single machine to 3D print all parts and tools using preferred materials, rather than being locked into specific printers using proprietary materials to print each part.
• Speed and size. The Essentium HSE 3D Printer is five to 15 times faster than any other extrusion printer on the market, and it offers build area large enough to fit up to 85% of global jigs and fixtures. This gives it the speed and capacity to 3D print at scale to meet high volume production requirements, and/or produce large parts, jigs and fixtures in one piece right on the factory floor.

Ready access to additive manufacturing is perhaps one of the easiest ways for businesses to reduce their dependence on third party suppliers (domestic or international), reduce costs and turnaround time, and insulate their manufacturing capabilities from exposure to damaging events.

Click here to request a demonstration of how Essentium can reinforce your supply chain with the HSE 180•S Series, the premier 3D printer built on an open ecosystem with speed and size unmatched by any other provider.

Essentium, Inc. provides industrial 3D printing solutions that are disrupting traditional manufacturing processes by bringing product strength and production speed together, at scale, with an open ecosystem and material set. Essentium manufactures and delivers innovative industrial 3D printers and materials enabling the world’s top manufacturers to bridge the gap between 3D printing and machining to embrace the future of additive manufacturing.