Production lead time is a critical variable for companies that rely on production and manufacturing processes to produce goods. In traditional manufacturing processes, it can take weeks or even months to produce parts and prototypes, causing delays in production, higher costs and missed deadlines. However, with the emergence of additive manufacturing, firms can now reduce manufacturing lead times by 90%, improve their overall production processes and improve supply chain resilience.
ADDere’s additive manufacturing systems enable producers to transmit digital CAD files to the 3D printer, which builds products layer by layer rather than cutting away from a large block of existing material as in most traditional subtractive manufacturing processes. ADDere has several features that make it an ideal technology for reducing manufacturing lead time.
- Producing in-house: One of the most significant benefits of ADDere is that it enables manufacturers to produce parts in-house. This eliminates the need to outsource production, reducing transportation time and cost, as well as the risk of damage to the parts during transit. Moreover, the in-house production of parts allows for faster production times and greater control over the production process.
- Accelerated prototyping and testing: Another benefit of ADDere is that it enables accelerated prototyping and testing. With ADDere, manufacturers can produce parts and prototypes in days, instead of weeks or months. This speed allows for faster iteration and testing of designs, reducing development times and helping businesses get products to market faster.
- Quick production of spare parts: If a tool or part breaks in traditional manufacturing, it can cause significant production delays. However, with ADDere, companies can quickly replace broken tools and parts, reducing downtime and production delays. This means that if a tool breaks during the production process, it can be quickly replaced, reducing production downtime and improving overall efficiency.
Reducing the lead times for product lifecycle development creates notable value. It saves time-to-market, cost, and a better overall experience for customers and end users. Reduced manufacturing lead times can create value in production and manufacturing.
- Creates customer satisfaction: Reducing lead times means that companies can get products to market faster, improving customer satisfaction. Customers expect products to be delivered quickly, and reducing lead times can help companies meet those expectations. Additionally, faster production times can mean faster response times to customer orders.
- Eliminates part obsolescence: With ADDere digital copies of a part can be kept indefinitely without incurring any additional costs with warehousing and degradation. Additionally, if the original manufacturer ceases to exist, their parts can still be produced locally on demand with little lead time.
- Helps inventory management: Reducing lead times can also help manufacturers manage their inventory better. When production times are shorter, firms can produce parts on demand, reducing the need for large inventories and legacy parts warehousing.
- Increases supply chain resilience: Additive manufacturing increases the speed and flexibility of production. The technology allows firms to respond quickly to supply disruptions without holding costly inventory of parts that may not ultimately be needed. With ADDere, parts can be printed and delivered within hours or days after they are ordered. This reduced lead time benefits aerospace, defense, automotive and other industries that have been stymied by bottlenecks in forging and casting supply chains; in some cases, parts have been delivered 10 months after they were ordered.
- Enhances innovation: Additive manufacturing enables companies to create complex structures that are difficult or impossible to make with conventional methods. This allows for more design possibilities and higher performance levels.
ADDere Additive Manufacturing provides print services for low-run parts and prototyping, and full system integration at your facility. If you want to learn more about how ADDere can reduce production lead times and improve your manufacturing process, please contact us today. Our additive experts are here to provide you with the guidance you need to make your application a success.
