A NEW BREED

innovationage
presented to CIOs today, measuring the
return on investment of rolling out a
3D printing project is fairly simple.
For any company that’s monitoring
their own performance in terms of
man-hours on a project, it’s easy to
track against. With 3D printing, it’s
more efficient, there are fewer
mistakes and you finish with a
smarter product.
There are a number of different KPIs
involved in a product development
cycle that 3D printing can help to
improve, including concept design,
engineering and manufacturing.
‘Introducing 3D printing touches all
of these areas, so there are many time,
cost and efficiency KPIs to measure
against,’ says Tyrtania. ‘With small,
entry-level machines starting from
£5,000 or less, the investment and risk
can be minimised in order to achieve
strong returns.’
No panacea
That’s not to say, however, that
challenges don’t exist. More education
regarding the technology is definitely
required, particularly in terms of
when and how it should be used –
it’s not a ‘cure-all’ and shouldn’t be
treated as such.
And it’s not as simple as just pressing a
button, either. Businesses need to make
sure that they are using correct file
formats and that their designs reflect
the capabilities of a 3D printer.
At the same time, designers need to
know how to create the kind of designs
that allow them to get the most out of
this manufacturing technology.
‘To help bridge the gap between
design data and hardware, new
open-source software tools, such
‘Serial IDs ensure that
warranty issues are
not compromised and
quality standards
are maintained’
>> Anthony Bourne, IFS
as Spark, have emerged as a way of
enhancing traditional CAD files so that
they are compatible with 3D printers,’
says Harrington Au.
The rise of 3D printing also poses new
challenges for assuring the quality and
authenticity of products. Competitors
attempting to reverse-engineer
products will be able to do so far more
rapidly since there is no need to develop
certain tools, dyes, fixtures and jigs.
That’s why, by 2018, 3D printing will
have triggered the loss of at least $100
billion per year in IP globally, according
to Bourne. So how can manufacturers
ensure they are purchasing genuine
replacement parts for industrial
equipment? And how can equipment
manufacturers be sure that equipment
they sell to customers is under
warranty and uses genuine parts?
‘Part serialisation,’ says Bourne,
alluding to the type of functionality
normally associated with highly
regulated industries such as defence,
‘may become attractive across the
board. We’ll see attempts to embed
“DNA” into 3D-printed parts, and the
development of processes capable of
checking for DNA matches.
‘Blueprints to be downloaded for
printing should have a serial ID
attached to them that corresponds
to the serial ID in an ERP application.
This way, it’s possible to ensure that
warranty issues are not compromised
and quality standards are maintained.’
Looking ahead, the market for 3D
printing will no doubt continue
to grow at a healthy rate, but it’s
important that vendors commit to
educating companies and that the
technology evolves and further
enhancements are made.
The industry is moving past
prototypes and towards the ability to
print final products. New uses for the
technology appear every day as it
becomes cheaper and easier to use.
‘With its potential for innovation, 3D
printing is poised to be one of the most
disruptive technologies in the future of
making things,’ says Harrington Au.
KYOCERA Document Solutions UK has added
3D Systems’ market-leading products to its
portfolio. The CubePro family was created
for the education market and offers Plastic
Jet Printing (PJP) ideal for schools and small
businesses, while the ProJet Colour Jet Printing
range is suitable for R&D, universities and small
production requirements.
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