3D printing : a multi-dimensional perspective

The world of 3D printing opened its doors to the public in Lyon, France once again this week at the 3D Print Congress and Exhibition.?A plethora of suppliers showcased significant developments in this technology.?Additive manufacturing (more commonly known as 3D printing) was initially designed for prototype modeling and is rated as one of the most promising technologies for design. Nowadays, this technology is stepping up to the world of mass production (albeit in small batches).??For a manufacturing company, the arguments that now stand their ground include the acceleration of their go-to-market strategy, a flexibility in the planning of multiple series, multi-fonction part printing and finally an almost zero-waste production line as components are printed ground up, layer by layer, compared to traditional methods such as extrusion and moulding.?Additive manufacturing (AM) is also enticing manufacturers thanks to the reduced number of manufacturing steps that stand between the virtual design and the ready-to-use part. Finally, one major advantage of AM reported in literature is the ability to process complex shapes that are not easy to design. Added to this list of benefits is the increased choice of raw materials that can be printed, ranging from glass, to aluminium to plastic and alimentary substances.?

3D printing has raised increasing interest in numerous sectors including the aerospace industry, where savings are sought in mass and fuel consumption.?Such companies can now benefit from considerable reduction in mass consumption of raw materials, which lead to additional benefits over and above time to market, considering the current economic climate and difficulty in sourcing certain materials. However, the technology faces challenges linked to the size of parts and components that need to be printed for certain aeronautical products.

However, where do the key challenges still lie for additive manufacturing???Obviously as the world cracks down on the qualification of manufacturing processes, the quality control and certification of additive manufacturing still remains problematic, especially for high risk sectors.??Additionally, where advances in metal powder based printing have enabled 3D printing to almost equal performances in traditional parts production, there are security hazards that still need to be addressed for some of these highly combustible substances.

In the Digital transformation of enterprises, the production line is still a strategic game breaker particularly for SMEs who strive for an equitable share of the market.?Whilst many of the above challenges can be addressed, there is one ‘shadier’ area in the progress that could impact the technology’s evolution: the potential for cyber attacks on 3D design software. Since 3D printers are often internet-connected, aswell as being increasingly open-sourced there are potential confidentiality concerns regarding schematics and software code and any errors in the design that result from cyber criminality could have substantial real world effects.

To conclude, as with all digital innovations, the enthusiam behind the progress made in additive printing needs to be viewed through the lenses of enterprise governance, security and regulation if the manufacturing sector wishes to ensure a successful digital transformation of its value chain.?