Advancing the Supply Chain
with Additive Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing can mean on-demand part creation,
which can have a significant effect on the supply chain.
Additive manufacturing is proving its potential. Registration
at this year's Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG)
meeting at the Chicago Hilton (where you have to be a user
of an industrial 3D printer to attend) was cut off at 1,600
before the event opened, or else it would have exceeded
capacity. While there remains so much in additive manufac-
turing (AM) for automotive production people to continue
exploring—from printers, printing processes, materials
and design strategies—one of the biggest thought-teasers is
how AM can further optimize the supply chain. Imagine the
savings in inventory, warehousing and delivery times using
AM for on-demand spare parts for production line equip-
ment or for vehicles themselves.
While AM production volume remains a top priority, the
dream of a revamped supply chain is getting real-world
investment from global players, and surprisingly, non-3D
equipment or materials companies. Software giant SAP
( sap.com ) and United Parcel Service (UPS; ups.com ) are
collaborating across their respective solution portfolios
to enable critical components of an on-demand manufac-
turing network. It starts with SAP digitizing and optimizing
the production part-approval process (PPAP) and handing
the data directly to 3D printers at UPS stores throughout
the country. By accelerating and standardizing the process,
both companies believe a significantly greater number of
industrial 3D print-ready production parts can be approved
and ordered through UPS On-Demand Manufacturing with
full integration into SAP manufacturing and procurement.
This brings a lot more than just getting parts faster.
Automatic quantification of the financial viability of 3D
printing vs. traditional procurement or manufacturing
options on a host of real-time manufacturing and
By RAY CHALMERS, Contributing Editor
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