The Next Industrial Revolution: Introducing Direct Digital Manufacturing

By Greg Ackerman, Director of Operations, RedEye

During the past 20 years, an industrial revolution has been building. While many companies will not reap the rewards of this revolution for several years, progressive corporations are aggressively pursuing the adoption of direct digital manufacturing processes. Having capitalized on the advantages of rapid prototyping, forward-thinking companies are using the same technology to do much more than prototyping.

As the services arm of Stratasys, Inc., the leading supplier of rapid prototyping technology, RedEye has witnessed and participated in the evolution of rapid prototyping from a tool for concept models to a process for the production of finished goods. Today, RedEye offers prototyping through production to companies of all sizes, in all industries (see figure1). While the majority of its service work continues to address the prototyping needs of its customers, these companies are increasingly realizing the benefits of direct digital manufacturing for custom products, low-volume manufacturing and interim production.

Figure 1: With its high capacity, RedEye serves the need for high-volume prototyping and low-volume direct digital manufacturing.

Rapid Prototyping: Creation of physical parts, directly from 3D digital data, through an additive processes. For example, fused deposition modeling (FDM) extrudes a thin filament of thermoplastic, such as ABS or polycarbonate, and precisely deposits it in layers to “grow” the physical object.

Although the advantages of time reduction are apparent, rapid prototyping and direct digital manufacturing offer much more than faster response. However, many companies may not recognize the full breadth of benefits offered, and this allows them to overlook or dismiss the technology. In this age of intense competitive pressure and globalization, this oversight puts corporations at a disadvantage. The companies that have embraced additive technologies have learned that it improves products, processes, productivity and profits.

Rapid prototyping gave birth to a new industry by providing a powerful tool for product development. After 20 years, it has spawned the dawning of the next industrial revolution, direct digital manufacturing.

First, Rapid Prototyping

Fused deposition modeling (FDM®) is the primary technology that drives RedEye. Constructing parts from a wide variety of production-grade thermoplastics, FDM has distinguished itself as the rapid prototyping technology that delivers durable and functional models, prototypes and patterns. The technology produces these parts directly from 3D design data - in a matter of hours - without molding, machining, casting or forming. Eliminating much of the labor associated with conventional processes, FDM is an efficient tool for the rapid delivery of physical parts for design, engineering and manufacturing evaluation.

Upon completion of product development, the role of the rapid prototyping machine easily shifts to manufacturing.

Now, Rapid Production

Since the earliest days of rapid prototyping, experts have envisioned the application of the technology in the manufacturing process. That day has arrived. Advances in technology, materials and quality facilitate the production of finished goods with a rapid prototyping machine (see figure 2).

For corporate executives seeking a straightforward justification for direct digital manufacturing, one need to look only at the cost and time associated with tooling. For example, injection molding requires tooling that typically costs $25,000 to $200,000 and takes six to 16 weeks to produce. With direct digital manufacturing, there is no investment or lead time associated with tooling. The savings drop straight to the bottom line, and the rapid response yields additional sales revenue.

Figure 2: Producing parts directly from 3D CAD data, direct digital manufacturing consolidates all operations on a single, automated machine.

For some companies, this financial gain is enough to justify direct digital manufacturing. Yet, others look to the less tangible gains for the real value of this unique process. Eliminating tooling offers unprecedented freedom. Companies are free to revise and replace individual components, or entire products, with no financial penalty. Eliminating tooling also removes design for manufacturability (DFM) constraints. In effect, whatever the mind can conceive can now be manufactured practically and affordably.

Following are specific examples of the scope of benefits that direct digital manufacturing offers.

Competitive Advantages with Direct Digital Manufacturing

Enhanced products
It is impossible to place a dollar amount on the value derived from the ability to design products, assemblies and parts solely for the purpose of form, fit and function. To do so would be akin to estimating the value of creativity or innovation. However, it is implicitly understood that better products translate to greater financial gain for a company.

The freedom of design allows a product to assume the form that is best for the function. The product can be as complex and feature-laden as it must be to serve its purpose. Severing the direct relationship of cost to complexity and cutting the ties to DFM rules, direct digital manufacturing promotes good design for better products (see figure3). For the truly innovative, the freedom of design will unleash new products and new ideas that would have been deemed impossible or impractical if bound by the limitations of conventional manufacturing processes.

Figure 3: This "caged ball" illustrates that what was once impractical or impossible can be economically produced with direct digital manufacturing.

Continuous product improvement
The stream of input for product enhancement is endless. Step back from any project for a few days - view it with fresh eyes - and previously undetected errors or opportunities for enhancement will leap out. Direct digital manufacturing allows companies to incorporate these observations and inputs as they are discovered. Fixes and enhancements can be introduced in each and every production run since there is no need for tooling rework.

Continuous product improvement will have a major impact on customer satisfaction, which in turn translates to increased sales. Also, making better products will reduce the expense for warranty and repair work.

Increased throughput and efficiency
On the manufacturing floor, the production process is a choreographed sequence of processes. Each step adds time and introduces complications. The freedom of design increases throughput and efficiency. Direct digital manufacturing can eliminate assembly by allowing part consolidation and minimize secondary operations by incorporating all features in the part (see figure 4). This translates to fewer processes, faster production rates and lower costs.

When the design eliminates secondary operations and consolidates parts, the manufacturing flow is streamlined, which makes it easier to manage and more efficient. With direct digital manufacturing, throughput and efficiencies can increase and production costs can fall.

Figure 4: The air vent, constructed as a one-piece assembly, illustrates direct digital manufacturing’s ability to consolidate parts.

Decreased obsolescence and scrap
Since direct digital manufacturing does not have economies of scale associated with long production runs, the on-demand nature of the process means that there will be minimal work in progress (WIP) and finished goods inventory. This translates to decreased inventory carrying costs and minimal financial impact for product revisions.

In effect, forced obsolescence has little relevance in the decision to redesign a product since there is only a small amount of inventory to be scrapped.

Improved productivity
Production requires discussion, analysis, decisions, documentation and oversight. From the moment a quotation request is submitted until the last part is received, manufacturing employees will be actively involved in the project. The time demands postpone other important projects and tasks. While there is a direct labor cost associated to this work, the biggest impact is on the overall productivity of manufacturing and shop floor personnel.

Direct digital manufacturing is more of a task than a project. The production effort can be executed with little direct labor. From a 3D CAD file, a quote is prepared and submitted, often within hours. Once the order is released, production begins immediately. Since the technology is so fast, so automated and so independent of other processes, employees can reallocate their time to other tasks, projects and emergencies. With direct digital manufacturing, companies can do more, with fewer resources, in less time.

Rapid Deployment of Military Hardware Changes in the design of a battery holder threatened the deployment schedule for a weapons-mounted flashlight. Tooling for the 50,000 piece order would take 12 weeks, but the U.S. Army needed the flashlight in days. While waiting for the full production order, the Army turned to direct digital manufacturing to meet the initial demand. The Army enlisted RedEye to produce 500 battery holders that could withstand field conditions. Using its FDM technology, RedEye delivered the essential parts in one week, and soldiers got the flashlights they needed.

Tooling for this battery holder threatened to delay deployment. Through RedEye, the U.S. Army received the parts it needed in one week.

Lead the Market Today

Innovation has become a strategic initiative for manufacturers. Innovative products, processes and procedures translate to competitive strength and corporate success. With one unique technology, direct digital manufacturing, companies will simultaneously address all three areas of innovation. From lamp shades to aircraft and hearing aids to medical devices, companies are realizing the impact and value of direct digital manufacturing.

Direct digital manufacturing will be the next industrial revolution. With it, as with any revolution, there will be a total upheaval, a radical change and an overthrow of existing practices. Direct digital manufacturing will infiltrate all processes and every discipline within a company. It will change how manufacturing is done.

So, now is the time to integrate rapid prototyping within the product development process. Building from this exposure to the power, capabilities and benefits of additive technologies, use this insight to map out a direct digital manufacturing strategy. While the industrial revolution will not happen tomorrow, progressive corporations are aggressively pursuing the adoption of direct digital manufacturing processes today.

For a complete series of in-depth articles on direct digital manufacturing visit www.RedEyeOnDemand.com