3D Printing’s Role in Manufacturing’s Resurgence

John Kawola,
Ultimaker

Although the manufacturing sector has undergone a lack of growth in recent decades, the industry has taken a positive turn over the past year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. has added 70,000 manufacturing jobs since November 2017. Many factors, including the political landscape and improving economy, have contributed to this newfound revival—but we cannot discount technology’s positive impact on the industry, particularly 3D printing.

Although many experts believe that 3D printing is still in its infancy, its impact can already be felt throughout the manufacturing sector. 3D printers are poised to become a mainstay of factories, with the World Economic Forum asserting that they have helped bring about a “Fourth Industrial Revolution,” especially in combination with technology such as robotics, software and other digital solutions that are making processes more automated.

As 3D printing technology becomes more entrenched within the manufacturing industry, it has the potential to encourage the creation of new jobs for higher skilled workers, positively impact design and production efficiency, and completely disrupt the basis of traditional manufacturing.

Opening Doors for Highly Skilled Workers

Research from HP and A.T. Kearney asserts that it is crucial for government agencies, industry leaders and academia to form a strategic partnership to navigate new technologies within manufacturing. If these technologies are fully embraced, they have the potential to create “$600 billion to $900 billion in new revenue and 3 million to 5 million new jobs in the next 10 years.”

Leaders within the manufacturing sector, as well as educational institutions, should prioritize programs that focus on 3D design and engineering to create a tech-savvy workforce capable of meeting the challenges of Industry 4.0. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2018 report, the U.S. is “globally renowned for its ability to innovate and is currently at the forefront of major developments surrounding the emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” The U.S. clearly has an advantage—a large and eager workforce, with the potential to learn the skills that will be paramount to remaining a global manufacturing leader.

Introducing New Levels of Efficiency

3D printing is already used by many factories for prototyping and to create production tools with the added benefit of real-time customization. Factories can speed up their delivery time for parts by printing them in house, rather than waiting for an order fulfillment, increasing production volumes and lowering costs as well as time.

Take the automotive industry as an example. Manufacturers have already embraced 3D technologies and their benefits, with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory predicting that “3D printers have the potential to reduce the price tag of developing an entirely new vehicle from $600 million today to just $60 million.” Volkswagen Autoeuropa has used 3D printers to produce tools in-house, leading to a 91% reduction in tool development costs and reduced development time by 95%.

Many of these cost-saving benefits are coming from more accessible and reliable desktop 3D printers, rather than a large centralized 3D printer. The smaller desktop models allow for specialized groups of engineers to print prototypes near where their design process occurs. With the ability to create a quicker and cheaper prototype of a product using 3D printing, manufacturers can quickly identify design flaws and redesign, shortening time to market. As products are delivered to the market quicker, companies are nimbler in responding to customer feedback and trends.

Distributed Manufacturing Opportunity

Past business models determined that centralized manufacturing was most cost-efficient for enterprises, locating one large factory or warehouse where labor and land was cheapest. But distributed manufacturing is starting to become a reality—and 3D printers are set to shine in this environment. We’ve seen companies like Amazon shifting to this business model by building several smaller regional factories and distribution centers to reduce shipping costs and expedite products to customers. The ability for 3D printing to create customized replacement parts, coupled with a smaller supply chain network, can lead to large savings for the manufacturer—and get products into the hands of customers faster.

3D printing continues to evolve and advance, slowly making its mark on the manufacturing sector. Although factories are beginning to see the benefits, not only to their bottom line, but in productivity and job creation, more widespread implementation of this technology will continue. The scalability and efficiency of 3D printing make it ripe to further disrupt the manufacturing status quo, and it is inevitable that its impact will be felt outside of factories in the future.

John Kawola is the president of Ultimaker North America.