2023-06-13 07:26:00
Agoria wants to increase the acceptance rate of additive manufacturing in the Belgian industry. The technology is in fact part of the solution that the European Union is seeking for some of the current crises, such as the energy crisis, the shortage of raw materials and the goal of becoming more independent of raw materials. However, how do you get the industry to do so? Belgian industrial companies testify about the AM adoption.
Not an easy task, according to the experiences of a number of Belgian frontrunners. Patience, a holistic view and support from senior management are three indispensable criteria. The road that CNH Industrial in Zedelgem has traveled to adopt additive manufacturing in production is a long one, admits Peter Ommeslag, global supply chain manager, speaking at the Agoria AM Event.
In 2008, the first prototypes were printed at the manufacturer of agricultural mechanization systems. In 2015 jigs & fixtures and some tooling were added. “Little successful. We found 3D printing too expensive and the quality was not what we expected”, Ommeslag summarizes the state of affairs at the time. Nevertheless, the idea remained alive and a few small 3D printers were purchased with which tools were successfully printed.
AM event of Agoria conclusion of successful student challenge
Sales discovers AM: AM adoption
Three years later, AM began to live with the sales staff. CNH Industrial must by law be able to supply parts for the vehicles and machines sold for ten years. In practice, the company keeps that promise for more than 20 years. It is by no means trivial to supply spare parts two decades after the sale. Is there another supplier? There are high costs for tools and low volumes. An ideal application for additive manufacturing, you would say. Still, a Covid-19 crisis with supply chains coming to a standstill had to be involved to really get AM on the retina of CNH Industrial. This happened in the first lockdown of 2020, when the manufacturer was faced with the choice of temporarily parking incomplete products in a parking lot, stopping production or 3D printing the missing parts. “This enabled us to deliver our agricultural vehicles to a happy customer and keep our people working,” says Ommeslag.
If the supply from Asia comes to a halt
The Covid-19 crisis has also accelerated the plans for 3D printing at Signify in Turnhout. The lighting group – formerly Philips Lighting – saw an opportunity when the supply of parts for light fittings from Asia came to a standstill during the first lockdown and customers could not be supplied. Bart Vansant, Operations Manager in Turnhout: “Our customers were waiting for luminaires from Asia; we were able to print them in 3D in Turnhout.” Signify’s vision behind this step goes much further. Thanks to 3D printing, the company can produce close to local markets, which means less transport and therefore a small CO2 footprint. There are now more than 300 larger and smaller FFF printers, built in-house, in factories in Europe, the US and Asia.
Strategic choice and digital twin
Covid-19 provides acceleration Both Signify and CNH Industrial have been given a boost by the supply chain problems that arose during Covid-19. That has accelerated the adoption of 3D printing. “Five years ago we asked: can we print it in 3D and is it cheaper or more expensive?” says Peter Ommeslag. Today, CNH Industrial approaches additive manufacturing from a very different angle. At the end of last year, the company started looking strategically at additive manufacturing. Which parts keep the supply chain manager awake at night? “We want to build an AM twin from these parts. Optimized for 3D printing, so we can more easily switch from the traditional to the AM supply chain,” says the global supply chain manager.
Curious about the whole article about the Agoria AM Event and how Thales Alenia Space and Safran Aero Booster use additive manufacturing? How is the adoption AM progressing there? And who are the winning student teams? Click on the link to the full article Solutions Magazine.
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