3D printing is now widely accepted as a technical standard for companies. Almost 8 in 10 Dutch companies today use 3D printing. More than half have their own equipment for this purpose. Almost half see 3D printing as an opportunity to compensate for some of the lost sales due to the corona crisis.
This is according to research by reichelt elektronik among 230 decision-makers working at Dutch organisations. The study takes stock of how widespread the use of 3D printing technology is within Dutch companies. The research also looks at the effect additive manufacturing is having on these companies and what obstacles they are experiencing in doing so. The research also maps the impact of COVID-19 on developments using 3D printing within these companies.
The survey focused on employees and managers involved in design, development, production and technology and directly involved in technical decisions. The companies came from the manufacturing, logistics, pharmaceutical, energy and IT & development sectors.
Saving time and money
3D printing has received increasing attention in recent years because of its added value for industrial production. By combining it with automated processes, production can be automated to a significant extent. The technology can therefore potentially save a lot of time and money.
Not surprisingly, 3D printing is now widely accepted by Dutch companies. For instance, 79% of companies use additive manufacturing. 58% have their own 3D printing equipment. Dutch companies mainly use additive manufacturing to develop prototypes; 84% of respondents use it. 71% report being satisfied with the use of 3D printing for these purposes.
Producing visual models
However, producing prototypes is not the only purpose with which 3D printing is used. For instance, 84% of surveyed decision-makers say they use additive manufacturing to produce visual models. 52% are satisfied with the possibilities offered by 3D printing in this area.
71% of Dutch companies use additive manufacturing to produce extra parts. Half report having no complaints about these processes. However, 21% are not satisfied with the extra parts produced via 3D printing processes. "This raises the question to what extent 3D printing technology still needs to be improved," writes reichelt elektronik.
Plastic is most popular material
Zooming in on choice of materials, it appears that most companies use plastics. These include ABS, PLA or PETG. 69% of companies print with these. Composites are also popular at 45%. Metal is more expensive as a 3D printing material than plastics or composites. Nevertheless, 39% of the surveyed companies use them.
Other materials are also used by Dutch companies for additive manufacturing. For example, 31% report using ceramics, wax, synthetic resin or paper. 6% use cement.
For the future, there is a demand for a wide range of materials. As examples, respondents mention silicones (FQM), wood or wood-like materials, textiles and glass, refractory raw materials, carbon, active ingredients and supplementary materials for pills, rubber and food, among others. reichelt elektronik concludes on the basis of this demand for a variety of materials that the possibilities for 3D printing are far from exhausted.
Speed and accuracy
As mentioned earlier, 3D printing also has its obstacles. For instance, 35% of companies surveyed indicated that 3D printing takes too much time. 30% experience problems in creating the desired shapes, while 28% encounter problems with the design software.
Therefore, in terms of the underlying computer technology and application options of 3D printers, there is still room for improvement. At the same time, reichelt elektronik points out that these shortcomings can also indicate or the use of the wrong printer or printing material. Mistakes can also be made in computer design, printer operation or software. "The more the technology develops and the greater the knowledge of users, the lower the likelihood of errors," the company says.
Offsetting revenue loss due to corona crisis
88% of respondents want to invest more in additive manufacturing and expand the use of the manufacturing technology. 40% cite the corona crisis as a reason for this; they see 3D printing as an opportunity to compensate for lost sales due to COVID-19. Companies also want to use 3D to cut costs or expand their offerings. They see the purchase of equipment as an investment that pays for itself by achieving higher sales over time.
79% of respondents called 3D printing a logical way to eliminate delays in supply chain. 50% of companies expanded their product offerings after embracing additive manufacturing. 49% report having saved costs. Almost half point to new areas of work and increased productivity.
38% of companies plan to introduce in-house production using 3D printing, for example, in the next 12 months. 56% expect additive manufacturing to play a bigger role in the supply chain in the next two years.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
