Marie Thiebault, Product Manager at 3YOURMIND, presented during the TIPE 3D Printing Conference about how the international spare parts business will be impacted by additive manufacturing. Her presentation received an overwhelming and positive response which has led more industrial manufacturers to reconsider their AM approach. The numbers never lie and Marie’s data is more than compelling, it’s motivating.
Background
During the last two decades, inventors and product developers have touted the benefits of 3D printing as the most effective rapid prototyping tool available. A great deal of emphasis has been placed on bringing products to market faster and 3D printing continues to be a major advantage.
Most recently, 3D printing has adopted the term, additive manufacturing, which mainly applies to the next stage of product development, production. Advancements in printed metals and plastics are enabling manufacturers to create customized products and low volume production quantities that bypass conventional methods that include tooling or machining.
Now, the industry is moving in a new direction with additive manufacturing addressing obsolescence and part replacement. AM is expected to make a significant impact on the Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) market which predominantly includes players from the transportation, heavy machinery, and energy sectors. Over the next 5 years, up to 8% of SKUs will be a better business case for AM than conventional sourcing (Journal of Operation Management).
What’s the Barrier to Entry?
“71% of companies say that a lack of knowledge is the greatest factor on project-by-project choices to use 3D printing or traditional methods.” (Jabil)
The average lifespan of a train is approximately 30-35 years depending on whether it is used for freight or passenger transportation. Companies such as Deutsche Bahn and SNCF are the largest and most profitable railway companies in the world and have become synonymous with quality and reliability.
However, they are constantly evaluating the operational performance of equipment, trains, and high-speed railways to remain effective transportation partners for companies and consumers. Trains built in the 1980s and 1990s can continue to be profitable for the business but require significant maintenance and repair.
Oftentimes, the replacement parts are either no longer available or the tooling costs are too high to justify small volume or unique part production.
The recent advancements in additive manufacturing technology and materials have become an effective tool to simply print parts on-demand and bypass conventional tooling or production methods.
Although this is a viable solution, there are still many barriers to full-scale adoption:
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Lack of expertise:
Traditional tooling and machining have historically been a cost-effective and reliable form of production for many years. This generation, focused on sustainability and efficiency, is beginning to take a new look at manufacturing that reduces waste and supports better financial outcomes for the business and its stakeholders. Due to this, many OEMs do not have the technical knowledge or capacity to truly evaluate the benefits of additive manufacturing in their process. This lack of expertise can be quite the bottleneck for process improvement.
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Large search volume:
There are countless parts and components manufactured with a variety of technologies and materials used by OEMs. The primary issue is the lack of record-keeping or consistent data across multiple facilities. The next generation of industrialization will rely heavily on data and it will become the lifeblood of any production facility. Most manufacturers understand this but are having difficulty determining what types of parts can be built with AM and how to correctly identify them within a set of components.
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Unclear cost of ownership:
There is an old saying, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. This outdated way of thinking is no longer acceptable for our hyper-competitive marketplace and must be reevaluated. Combined with the lack of expertise and large search volume comes the third major barrier for entry, determining the cost associated with transitioning from analog to digital.
What is the upfront cost? When will we achieve a return on investment? How much are we really saving? These are the questions that keep Supply Chain Managers up at night.
What are the Goals?
To be innovative is to embrace technology to improve operational efficiencies, reduce cost or provide the business with some sort of competitive advantage.
Additive manufacturing has proven itself as a potential solution for many OEMs.
A recent study by AMFG predicts that additive manufacturing will experience a CAGR of 25% over the next few years, resulting in a $25 billion industry. Much of that growth is targeted toward MRO markets. According to Jabil, 44% of aerospace and defense companies have already adopted 3D printing for repair applications.
As AM adoption explodes so does the need to develop proper workflows and processes to manage data effectively. To better understand the future of spare part replacement, we must understand the goals associated.
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Decentralize spare part access:
Distributed manufacturing is possible with on-demand production of parts with AM. Warehousing of spare parts is a thing of the past and the future of production comes with a push of a button. -
Reduce manufacturing costs:
Machining and tooling are still the most cost-effective options for mass manufacturing of parts and products. However, it’s overkill when it comes to low-volume, replacement parts. Spending $100,000 for a singular part that costs $1,000 to keep a $1,000,000 train operational is no longer necessary. -
Improve part performance:
AM technology enables the design of complex assemblies and custom parts that were previously impossible to produce. Instead of recreating the same part, why not make improvements to better performance? -
Reduce lead time:
Eliminate downtime. Every day that a plane, train, or shipping vessel is out of commission is another day of lost profit. These businesses are built on the productivity of their products. By decentralizing spare parts, manufacturers gain immediate access to replacements and can dramatically cut down lead times from suppliers. -
Enhance small series production:
By building a digital inventory and centralizing data, it’s possible to produce parts on demand and only when necessary. This is highly relevant for maintenance applications and quick-fix solutions that enhance customer relationships and ultimately, improve user experience.
How to Identify Great Spare Parts?
3YOURMIND offers a complete software package that is equipped to digitize your assets and provide in-depth analysis to identify the best spare parts for AM.
Today, the majority of spare parts will require conventional manufacturing methods only because the data is unfinished and building the digital library takes time.
Additionally, as AM matures so will access to new materials and processes that will expand the opportunities to identify more parts. In a few short years, it’s possible that 40-50% of the spare part industry may be produced with 3D printers.
Data aggregation is the key to success.
3YOURMIND provides a thorough examination and assists to identify the best spare parts by analyzing economical and technical data: Which parts are the most relevant to your process? How much does it cost? How long does it take to produce?
This assessment structure includes data sources and extraction modes to spot AM-ready parts. This includes part requirements, materials, qualifications, technologies, performance metrics, and traceability.
It’s a coordinated and collaborative effort to develop an effective workflow software and once the groundwork is finished, it begins to build itself. Imagine an orchestra with artificial intelligence.
Real-World Application
SNCF, the French National Railway Company founded in 1938, operates over 32,000 km of route and has approximately 14,000 trains in operation. Considered one of the early pioneers of railway travel in Europe, SNCF has relied on innovation to stay competitive and relevant.
They approached 3YOURMIND with challenges that most mature manufacturers face in 2021, (1) no 3D CAD drawings of parts, (2) a messy ERP system, and (3) minimal lack of AM experience or knowledge.
3YOURMIND recommended their Agile PLM solution and began identifying AM-relevant parts that would save the business time and money.
The results speak for themselves.
- Evaluated 30,000 total spare parts
- 10.3% of parts identified were an ideal match for additive manufacturing
- SNCF is saving a considerable amount of money per year in spare part production costs
- Lead time for parts shortened from 2 ½ months to 10 days with AM delivered parts
SNCF is only scratching the surface of possibilities with 3YOURMIND. With plans to incorporate an automatic pricing model and expectations to address other areas of the business, the opportunities are seemingly endless.
With a distributed manufacturing model in place, companies can operate the Agile PLM software from a centralized location and print parts on-demand at local facilities, saving the company time and money.
No longer do manufacturers, like SNCF, need to take a leap of faith for technology adoption.
This proven method of spare part replacement with AM and digitization of assets with 3YOURMIND indicates a smooth and steady path ahead with nothing but optimism on the horizon.
Contact Marie Thiebault if you'd like more information.
Going further…
To learn more about how to identify the best parts for AM, watch the replay of our episode of the 3D FRIDAY TALK SHOW : "Additive Manufacturing in the Parts Supply Chain: Dream or Reality?"
