Benefits of 3D Printing in Manufacturing

As global supply chains face increasing pressure and manufacturing demands grow more complex, 3D printing is moving to the forefront of the additive manufacturing space as a cost-efficient, reliable and flexible tool that is changing how people and companies view workflow optimization and production uptimes.

One of the key areas where UltiMaker’s 3D printing solutions are being leveraged is in manufacturing components with complex geometries (including lattices or internal channels), small production runs and various tooling, jigs, and fixtures used to improve existing traditional manufacturing workflows. Let’s dive into some of the key benefits of 3D printing in manufacturing and go over some application examples:

1. Reducing material waste

When compared to traditional subtractive manufacturing methods such as milling or CNC routing, which will always result in wasted material as part of the part-shaping process, 3D printers will only use as much material as needed for the part, layer by layer. This is further compounded when taking into consideration complex assemblies that often require The ability to produce parts as needed translates directly into reduced costs associated with maintaining large inventories.

2. Accelerated prototyping and iterations

UltiMaker allows companies to exponentially increase the speed with which they can prototype, test, and refine designs. This is done without needing to rely on expensive external suppliers, which, as we’ve seen in recent years, are vulnerable to supply chain delays or interruptions.

Global brands such as Heineken have ensured production continuity with 3D printing and decreased lead times (by as much as nine months) and production costs by 3D printing spare parts for their packaging and assembly machinery.

3. Eliminating tooling costs

Traditional manufacturing methods often require expensive molds, dies, or tooling for each part design and more and more manufacturers are turning to 3D printing technologies to create mold inserts, assembly aids and jigs in order to streamline their production. With a market value estimated at over $73.60 billion the tooling application area is one of the fastest growing: whereas only 37% of manufacturers reported using additive manufacturing for tooling in 2019 that number grew to 57% in 2021.

UltiMaker 3D printers allowed companies like Volkswagen Autoeuropa to produce tools and fixtures in-house and within two years see assembly-tooling cost savings increased from 70% to 95% (saving an estimated $375,000 per year).

In fact, the ability to tune in and dynamically address the needs of operators working on production lines by creating various custom jigs and fixtures allows companies to streamline processes, enhance precision, and reduce the risk of human error. With more and more customer success stories such as Audi Sport’s implementation of UltiMaker’s 3D printing technology to create almost 200 new tools, jigs and fixtures or ERIKS’s improvement to their manufacturing process, it’s evident that additive manufacturing is one of the key investments for businesses that want to stay ahead of the curve.

4. On-demand manufacturing

UltiMaker's accessible ecosystem enables distributed manufacturing for custom or low-volume parts. Businesses print just-in-time components instead of mass-producing and storing potentially unused inventory and with over 200+ materials available on our UltiMaker Marketplace we’re already seeing costly metal parts like conveyor infeed worms being replaced.

This is especially relevant when taking into consideration situations where certain machine parts can no longer be sourced as 3D printing allows manufacturers to reverse engineer obsolete parts and far extend the lifespan of existing legacy systems. Just ask one of our clients Trivium, who turned to 3D printing replacement parts for their automated packaging lines.

5. Easy to implement, easy to scale

Leveraging 3D printing in production processes is also incredibly easy especially when compared to traditional manufacturing techniques that require experienced engineers and designers to create and operate the complex tooling involved which often comes with complicated specialized software that not only adds to the cost but technical expertise as well.

With UltiMaker the design process is easily accessible through the various CAD softwares available (with some versions having a reduced learning curve) with the chief advantage being the ability to directly translate a CAD design into a 3D printed prototype faster than with any of the traditional methods currently available.

Coupled with an unparalleled scaling capability through distributed manufacturing, a single engineer can upload 3D parts in Digital Factory making it available in any of the connected locations for localized production as the operation of the 3D printer itself is extremely simple.

The future of manufacturing

From rapid prototyping to on-demand production, 3D printing is reshaping the way manufacturers innovate, save costs, decrease lead times, maintain production uptimes, and minimize waste. If you’re looking to leverage the unique benefits of 3D printing, the Ultimaker Factor 4 printer combines state-of-the-art features with unmatched reliability, empowering your business to achieve more with less.

Take the next step toward smarter manufacturing—get a personalized quote for the Factor 4 printer now.