The coronavirus has yielded rainy coverage of economic expansion around the world and has temporarily slowed down a production sector that has slowed for months. But the manufacturers’ remarkable reaction to disruptions in the source chain and shortage in the medical products market has been positive. Thousands of manufacturers temporarily reorganized their factories to help produce much-needed medical supplies. And if there’s one generation that’s been that of those efforts, it’s 3-d printing.
Even before things started to get serious here in the U.S., 3-D printing (also known as additive production or AM) was already being used to help deal with the medical crisis caused by Covid-19. “We discovered early in northern Italy the lack of medical capacity to deal with the effects,” said Ben Johnson, director of product development, health, at 3-d Systems. “We had our spouse there to print valves and separators to allow the use of a single fan for patients.”
Once the crisis reached our shores, the use of 3-d printers to respond to them took off. “3D printers were directly affected in many ways,” Johnson said. “They have been used to make complete face screens, face masks, swabs and fan parts, and have also led to cutting-edge advances in complete new fan designs. The non-unusual reaction around facial screens has become a wonderful opportunity for everyone, adding fans.
This quick reaction from individual players in each and every corner of the 3D printing box has been remarkable. The same can be said of cooperation in reaction to the crisis. “We worked with our competition to make sure we understand the regulations, the validations of fabrics and products, and what can be fair and what can’t be printed,” Johnson said. “We also work with them in technical and fabric consulting. And we’ve partnered with other consortia: the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and America Makes [a public-private partnership for the progression of 3D printing], for example. “
Now that the world is emerging from medical crises and blockades, many others see 3D printing from a whole new perspective. “Trends entering and coming out of the crisis can be connected in a number of ways,” said Ferdie Bruijnen, vice president of source chain operations at 3-d Systems. “An analysis through Ernst and Young showed that attitudes towards the FA had already replaced between 2016 and 2019, with the percentage of corporations using FA strategically doubling this period, from 4% to 8%, and the green percentage of all this by cutting more than half, from 76% to 35%. Second, Covid highlighted some vital benefits of the FA, such as the fact that it does not require tools, that it can handle complex geometries and provides a naturally distributed production base.
The distributed nature of 3D printing is a huge merit, as many corporations are looking for a source of choice for portions and products whose availability has been hampered by font chain failures. “AM has an on-demand basis, and this reduces the entry barrier,” Bruijnen said. “The distributed nature of its manufacturing was a big advantage for the crisis: Covid was actually under pressure for the price of that.”
These benefits have placed 3D printing in a position of strength as production resumes. “The manufacture of bridges is a wonderful opportunity,” Bruijnen said. “Instead of a manufacturer with a tool to meet 110% of overall demand, they can have one to cover 95% and use AM to manage bending capacity. AM showed the pandemic how it gives speed of execution and flexibility.”
The production demonstrations of end-use products that 3D printing has presented in recent months have repositioned many opinions on the nature of the technology. “FA has proven to be much more than a prototyping technology,” Bruijnen explained. “In 2009, the market position fell in love with the FA, and others claimed that it would reposition injection molding. Well, we know it’s never going to be the case. But we also know that it has its position in the production toolkit. »
“The coronavirus scenario has highlighted the ability of 3D printing to react quickly,” Johnson said. “The fan separator is a smart example; we saw a 24-hour delay in this response. Now you will notice that technology has that kind of potential. This will democratize production.”
Bruijnen agrees. “Technology has come up,” he says. “He was already considered mature in specific fields – dental, medical and jewelry, for example, where he had already demonstrated a perfect fit between the technical functions and desires of the company. But this only scratches the surface of its potential.” . A smart example is cosmetics, where there is a corporation that prints a complex geometry pen holder. This more aesthetic packaging sets it apart from all its competitors. And in the production sector in general, there are a number of spaces where it is imminent to see that the balance tilts towards the FA taking part of the final production.
“AM will not update injection molding,” he concluded. “But it’s not necessary. This has never been the measure of success.”
I have spent decades in production “portions” in engineering, operations and management. My career has taken me from the workshops to the company
I have spent decades in production “portions” in engineering, operations and management. My career has taken me from factories to corporate offices, with corporations like Ralston-Purina and General Mills, producing everything from plastic to paints and bourbon food. I write a blog about the interface.