How 3D Printing is Transforming this Aussie Manufacturing Business
In Australia, 3D printing represents a significant opportunity to reinvent and reinvigorate the local manufacturing industry, which has faced its share of challenges in recent times.
Last week, HP unveiled a great local example of this with the announcement of the first Australian customer to adopt our industry leading HP Jet Fusion 3D 4200 Printing Solution, Brisbane-based orthotics manufacturer, iOrthotics.
Adopting this technology will allow iOrthotics to become one of the first orthotics manufacturers in the world to have completely transitioned from polypropylene milling to 3D additive manufacturing – a faster, more sustainable method, producing orthotics devices that are significantly stronger.
They have increased their production levels 5x, and in the next 12-18 months they expect to more than double their reach to 130+ clinics nationally and begin to export overseas. In addition, iOrthotics are now undertaking orthotic and prosthetic fabrication and are offering a 3D bureau printing service for engineering and industrial clients. This is a great Aussie success story!
iOrthotics has put into practice the digital transformation made possible by 3D printing, and has shown that 3D printing is more than a tool for creating prototypes that may never see the light of day – it’s a key to business growth.
RESEARCH AND TESTING KEY TO PROVING VALUE
Like a host of manufacturers today, iOrthotics recognised the need to innovate their manufacturing process to keep up with demand. It was impractical to continue scaling up subtractive milling, which could produce just 30 plastic devices per day.
But before making the technology leap, they needed to prove that 3D printing would benefit not just their business, but patients, who naturally demand strong, sturdy and dependable orthotics.
Through extensive research and testing with the University of Queensland, the iOrthotics team, led by founding director Dean Hartley, determined that devices manufactured by HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing technology were 40-60% stronger than those produced using traditional polypropylene milling.
Production was also found to be 5x faster, producing 120-130 devices per day, compared with just 30 devices per day using the previous method.
What’s more, they discovered huge economic and environmental benefits. By adopting HP 3D printing technology they stood to reduce wastage to less than 1% of the material, compared with 95% of polypropylene wastage from subtractive milling.
WHERE TO NEXT?
All industries will go through change in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but perhaps none as dramatically as the manufacturing sector. HP is accelerating the end-to-end digital reinvention of the manufacturing industry, and transforming every step of the value chain – from design to workflow to materials to fabrication to post-processing to supply-chain to recyclability.
Aussie manufacturers like iOrthotics are truly leading the way – transforming their business and positioning themselves for growth by taking full advantage of this technological shift. And the future applications for iOrthotics are truly exciting. HP’s 3D printing technology could be used to produce prosthetic limbs, custom footwear, and -- by embedding IoT sensors -- could manufacture devices which identify circulatory and tissue complications before symptoms appear.
I’m thrilled to see the success this local business is achieving through HP technology. iOrthotics is at the forefront of a manufacturing industry movement that will change the way we conceive, design, produce, distribute and consume nearly everything.
The age of Digital Manufacturing is upon us!