3D – the digital way of manufacturing of the future

3D printing: a digital way of manufacturing

3D printing has enabled the transformation from subtractive manufacturing (turning, milling, planing, grinding, drilling, boring, drawing, etc.) to additive manufacturing (see Figure 1), and the changes brought about by this transformation are extensive and profound. The perspective of 3D printing as a special processing method that enables complex geometries or rapid prototyping is limited (these are just some of the benefits of additive manufacturing). Additive manufacturing offers the advantages of freedom, digitalization, and rapid customization that traditional subtractive manufacturing does not have:

- Additive manufacturing brings a degree of freedom in geometry, material, function and other aspects, that is, different processing positions can have different geometric features, materials, deformation characteristics and functional combinations according to needs, which can process structural parts (such as tooling fixtures, mechanical parts) and functional devices with complex structures (such as biological organs, functional circuits, sensor devices, etc.). The great degree of freedom in manufacturing makes generative design, topology optimization, or on-demand form control truly possible;

- Additive manufacturing achieves the homology and unification of design, manufacturing process and final product data: that is, the digital 3D model information designed by the relevant design tools, the digital information of the processing process of material deposition and trajectory at each moment, and the digital information of the manufactured parts are homogeneous and unified. Depending on the specific process (as shown in Figure 2), the raw materials of the 3D printing process are generally in the form of wire (used to form a melt after heating), powder, ink, liquid resin, etc., which is free from the inconsistency of design information and processing information (processing standards and processes) caused by traditional subtractive manufacturing (such as CNC machine tools) where raw materials have been organized in a certain structured form (such as bars, square columns or other simple geometric forms). This uniformity and homology of data throughout the process makes it possible to digitize the entire manufacturing system and process.

- The additive manufacturing method does not need to consider the tooling fixture, mold opening, original shape of the material and relatively cumbersome processing process development procedures of the traditional manufacturing method, and can realize the rapid customization of small batches of workpieces, which is more suitable for the personalized consumer era.

The above-mentioned essential characteristics of 3D printing or additive manufacturing are consistent with the connotation and significance of digital manufacturing methods: the degree of freedom in 3D printing design and the corresponding design methods make digital design possible; The homology and unity of data from design, manufacturing and product ensure the digitalization of the whole process and the efficiency, flexibility and continuous improvement of the manufacturing system based on it, and its advantages of personalization, customization and rapid response are the significance of digital manufacturing. In these senses, 3D printing is a digital manufacturing method that is appropriate.

Understanding 3D printing in the context of digitalization

The era of automation and informatization to digitalization and intelligence has come. In this era, just as Generation Z, who was born in the vigorous development of information Internet technology and entered the society, actively embraces changes and pursues personalized, free and flexible expression, in order to respond to the social environment of accelerated circulation of information, endless application of new technologies, and increasingly fierce competition. This is obviously incompatible with the impression of mechanical, uniform, and large-scale repetitive production brought by traditional manufacturing. The emergence and development of 3D printing technology and the historical process of digitalization are complementary to each other: on the one hand, 3D printing and robots, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and other technologies are the key supporting technologies for digitalization. On the other hand, the great freedom and flexibility brought by 3D printing additive manufacturing also require the blessing of digital technologies (such as the Internet of Things, digital twins, etc.) to cope with complexity and uncertainty, so that this manufacturing method can quickly respond to real needs.

Therefore, in the context of digitalization, we should not only look at this booming technology from the perspective of traditional manufacturing industries such as equipment, technology, and materials (although these perspectives are basic and necessary), and people should pay attention to how 3D printing technology as a digital manufacturing technology is combined with other digital technologies to cope with personalized and customized scenarios.

In the big picture, 3D printing involves the entire end-to-end production/manufacturing process from design, manufacturing, post-processing, and use.

Digitalization is a process that needs to be changed, from production and manufacturing methods to organizations and business models. Digitalization is not an end in itself, but a way to better embrace change, meet challenges, and ultimately continue to be profitable in a changing era. From this point of view, there is no doubt that 3D printing technology has infinite potential. 3D printing players should actively participate in this historical process, and make themselves successful digital manufacturing solution providers with both software and hardware to help customers respond to flexible and changing needs and achieve sustainable success.