Markforged Holding Company has not too long ago launched Digital Supply, an on-demand components platform constructed to allow the licensing and 3D printing of manufacturer-certified components when and the place they’re wanted, with out the associated fee or problem of bodily stock administration.
Digital Supply permits distributors to add digital half designs which could be securely licensed to clients, distributors, and contract producers. As soon as uploaded, Digital Supply end-users could have the flexibility to license the proper to print components onsite or by a rising community of authorised print service suppliers.
“Digital Supply provides us the agility to print spare components the place they’re wanted, so we will get equipment again up and operating a lot sooner and reduce our downtime,” mentioned Jeremy Haight, Principal Engineer at Vestas Wind Methods A/S, a sustainable vitality options firm. “Time equals a really excessive greenback worth for us – a line down in certainly one of our factories is a giant deal, however a turbine that has gone down can price much more. If we will entry and print the half we want, we will get that line or turbine again up and operational a lot faster.”
“Digital Supply unlocks a brand new manner of managing provide chains. Day by day a producing line is down on account of damaged or worn components can price tens of millions of {dollars} in misplaced productiveness. Availability of spare components is vital to producers’ success – however maintaining an intensive bodily stock ties up capital in components which will go untouched for years,” mentioned Shai Terem, CEO of Markforged. “Digital Supply not solely can simplify logistics, however may also construct resiliency into the availability chain and enhance profitability on account of these efficiencies. With Digital Supply, components could be digitized and printed on the time and level of want with out the should be manufactured prematurely, shipped, and saved till wanted.”
Digital Supply is designed to supply constant, dependable, turnkey manufacturing for 3D printed components. Markforged is delivering the promise of digital warehousing by integrating 3D printing software program, supplies, and {hardware} with end-to-end course of management. Distributors can specify and lock printing course of necessities in order that clients get manufacturer-certified components on demand. Strong safety safeguards digital half information, and encrypted print directions are despatched on to printers to guard designs – permitting clients to simply press ‘print’.
BMF GmbH, a vendor on Digital Supply, is a extremely specialised producer of complicated sand-blasting machines with over 200 installations worldwide, every that includes 60 printed parts. These parts are sometimes changed each three to 4 months when the machines are operating at full capability.
“We wanted a major quantity of storage capability to have the ability to inventory all of the spare components, and sometimes, the prolonged supply time is linked to the shopper’s ordering course of, as the executive procedures steadily take too lengthy, when BMF ships the spare components on the identical day,” mentioned Ronny Bernstein, CEO of BMF GmbH. “Through Digital Supply, the element could be printed on-site the second a failure or put on is detected.”
Each distributors and clients of Digital Supply can profit from lowered stock prices and easier substitute half operations and availability, which may enhance productiveness, profitability, and buyer satisfaction. Prospects and repair facilities can print design revisions straight from Digital Supply – eradicating the waste from the disposal of outdated components and the danger of putting in the unsuitable half model.
“Above all is uptime for our clients. The machine should run and the shopper should be capable of proceed producing. Now the vast majority of superior composite components are printed straight on the buyer location, which not solely brings down the time it takes to obtain the half, but additionally brings transport prices and CO2 emissions down, which is on all firms’ minds greater than ever earlier than,” mentioned Bernstein.
Venture DIAMOnD is the world’s largest emergency response community for on-demand printing, with small- and medium-sized producers working 300 Markforged printers. Venture DIAMOnD, an Oakland County, Michigan, initiative facilitated by Automation Alley, is planning to implement Digital Supply into the community to additional empower the adoption of additive manufacturing on the manufacturing unit flooring.
“We worth Markforged due to its robust emphasis on defending the digital recipe of components and imposing the requirements of high quality for remotely-printed components,” mentioned Pavan Muzumdar, COO of Automation Alley, and CEO of Venture DIAMOnD. “We imagine the way forward for manufacturing is distributed manufacturing. By connecting our bodily world by safe digital inventories, Digital Supply may be very strongly aligned with our imaginative and prescient for the long run.”
