Revolutionising Production Lines
The transition of 3D printing from rapid prototyping to a practical production tool has the potential to revolutionise the manufacturing sector. This technology, once limited to the role of rapid prototype design, has permeated the broader production process to deliver a range of efficiency and efficacy benefits to manufacturing enterprises of all sizes. This article will explore how these benefits apply to the heart of manufacturing – production lines themselves.
Solving Common Production Line Challenges with 3D Printing
Component Failures and Downtime Reduction
Factors like wear caused by constant throughput, temperature-induced stress, weak weld-points, and multi-component mechanisms can result in various production line parts being compromised or even failing completely. This can often involve mission-critical production line parts like grippers, suction pads, or jigs, which can then lead to product quality issues. The resulting unscheduled downtime whilst a repair is arranged and carried out can be both frustrating and expensive.
3D printing a replacement part to, perhaps, different design specifications could significantly reduce failure rates as well as downtimes for repair. The redesign could decrease the number of individual components required, strengthen structures prone to breakage, or change surface topography to prove a better alternative. Being able to 3D print key production line parts also mitigates against supply chain risk such as low availability from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and significantly reduces turnaround times for maintenance, repair, or operations (MRO) parts.
Reducing Scrap Rates and Improving Product Quality
Eliminating defective products completely, or ensuring scrap rates fall within strict Acceptance Quality Limits (AQL), is a universal ambition for manufacturers. Production process defects such as product issues/failures occurring during standard production conditions represent a quality, reputational, and cost loss, and also threaten lean manufacturing principles.
3D printing can improve product handling capabilities at key stages in the production process and/or enhance component consistency through re-design. For example, a common issue with traditional suction grippers is that their internal assembly points are prone to air leakage – over time this can result in product slippage which can, eventually, lead to quality issues and higher scrap rates. 3D printing offers the ability to create complex channels as single structures, thus removing the need for multiple assembly points and reducing the risk of these performance issues that may ultimately result in defects.
Introducing New Products to the Line
One of the biggest benefits of 3D printing, compared to traditional “subtractive” manufacturing processes, is that it opens up the possibility of developing production line parts that were previously impractical or even simply impossible to produce – either in terms of their geometry or material composition.
Using 3D printing, customised tooling – typically time-consuming and problematic to introduce – can be developed, tested, and implemented in a much-reduced time frame. This key advantage can also mean, in many cases, that new production lines or line sections are not needed at all. Take finger grippers as an example – a part which often needs to be replaced to accommodate changes in product shape and size. 3D printing these out of an alternative, more flexible material, and with flexibility built into the design itself, can improve product acceptance capabilities without compromising on accuracy or gripper performance.
Health and Safety in Production Lines
Health and safety issues still pose significant challenges for UK workers. Around 1 in 6 UK manufacturers have reported injuries to employees since 2012. In fact, in 2015-16 around 0.3 million days were lost to the problem. It’s a national statistic but nonetheless reflective of a global issue.
Finding ways to make production line equipment lighter, safer, and easier to use is, therefore, a priority. From simplifying part complexity in order to improve ergonomic handling, to facilitating internal structures – which are impossible to create using any other production technology – that distribute strength evenly to enhance component performance while reducing overall lifting weight, 3D printing is already having a significant impact on health and safety strategies across the world.
Reducing Cycle Times and Improving Efficiency
In a competitive global economy where consumers demand low cost, high quality, and often highly differentiated goods, improving product development and production cycles to reduce time to market has become a near-universal manufacturing ambition.
Maximising production line efficiency is essential to businesses. Adaptable equipment and assembly components that accommodate evolving product ranges, and short-run or low-lead time 3D-printed replacement parts that dramatically reduce downtime, are highly applicable. Arguably, however, 3D printing is most promising in terms of its potential to address and enhance the ergonomics of components. The fact that clamps, jigs, mounts, grippers, and nozzles can be re-imagined and re-developed from a wider range of materials to be lighter, easier to handle, more durable, and ultimately quicker to deploy, has major implications for keeping production cycles lean and efficient.
3D Printing in Car Production Lines
3D printing has become a game-changer in the automotive industry, particularly in car production lines. Additive manufacturing allows car companies to produce parts on demand, reducing inventory costs and storage needs. It’s especially useful for creating custom parts for high-end or limited-edition models, that perhaps don’t need
Rapid prototyping, a significant advantage of 3D printing, enables designers to iterate designs quickly and efficiently. This accelerates the time from design finalization to mass production. 3D printing also plays a crucial role in producing jigs, fixtures, and other tooling in car production lines. These custom-made tools can enhance the efficiency and safety of the production process.
Moreover, 3D printing can create lightweight parts, contributing to the overall reduction of a car’s weight. This leads to improved fuel efficiency, a critical factor in today’s environmentally conscious market.
To Conclude
3D printing has proven to be a game-changer in the manufacturing sector, particularly with regards to improving production line efficiency. By addressing common production line challenges, like component failures and high scrap rates, to problems like health and safety risks and long cycle times, 3D printing offers a range of solutions that can significantly enhance the manufacturing processes. As we move forward, manufacturers would be wise to consider this emerging technology to stay competitive in the ever-changing global market.