Page 39 - The 10 Most Promising 3D Printing Service Providers 2019
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Awareness
Companies need to not only identify
applications and parts to build with 3D printing
but look at their manufacturing strategy as
a whole. Businesses need to find how the
technology can be applied and add value to
overall operations. For example- in the case
of Airbus Jetliner Parts 3D Printing unlocked
an optimized design that uses 90% less raw
Printing Industry material, 90% less energy during production
and 55% weight reduction.
The dearth of skilled manpower
While manpower is plentiful in India, getting
trained and experienced designers, engineers,
and technicians to operate the machines is a
challenge. To address this issue, educational
printing technologies or limited choice of raw materials so organizations can start offering training
on 3D printing related designing, coding,
the overall ecosystem is lacking. These providers need to be
brought together under a platform to provide comprehensive machine operation/optimization, etc. Building
educational centres, and development or
3D printing solutions. accelerated adoption of 3D curricula in
d. The 3D Printing market is monopolistic undergraduate engineering programs will build
The OEM, who manufactures the 3D printers, also produces the skills required to excel in 3D printing.
materials for these machines. Due to this monopoly, To nurture the next generation of innovators and
consumables are expensive. Thereby hampering the adoption thinkers, under the Atal Innovation Mission,
of 3D Printing. The industry has to be democratized. For the government of India has given a mandate to
example, HP has democratized its machines for others to various public schools to set up “Atal Tinkering
develop their own materials. Labs” equipped with 3D Printers. Government
3D printing materials must be standardized. Since general is also sponsoring INR 10.00 Cr worth rapid
material norms do not exist yet, companies need to set and prototyping related machinery under Atal
meet quality standards not only for the products but also for Incubation Mission. These steps will definitely
the materials and the processes. help with the widespread adoption of 3D
printing in India in the near future.
e. Lack of knowledge about various 3D printing Conclusion
processes
For most consumers, 3D Printing only means FDM To overcome these challenges, the industry
needs to shift its focus from the technical
technology. There is a lack of awareness about various 3D
printing technologies and use cases for them. One needs to advantages of 3D printing to overall value it
can provide to a business. Instead of finding
educate the users about the potential of these technologies
and how they can be used for their product. the products that fit the technology, technology
must be customized to fit the business model
f. Designing for Additive Manufacturing and products. Government has to step in and
Indian companies today, simply manufacture a part in 3D create policies to promote innovation and
provide incentives to entrepreneurs venturing
Printing that was designed using the rules of conventional into 3D printing.
manufacturing. Therefore, although the part is manufactured
faster and in fewer quantities, the part design is not as Like any new technology, 3D printing in its
efficient as it could have been because the part was never early stages of development is grappling with
designed for Additive Manufacturing (AM). challenges. But the good news is – in spite of
Design engineers need a new skill set to start designing for challenges; the 3D printing market in India
is growing at the rate of approximately 20%.
Additive Manufacturing. They need to keep AM thumb rules Market research company 6Wresearch has
in mind. For example, 3D printing allows designing without projected Indian 3D printer market to be worth
constraints. This means not having to worry about undercuts $79 million, by 2021. Companies that invest in
or draft angles and having total freedom to play with the it now will gain a competitive edge over those
form and function. If the companies start designing for AM who don’t.
and then manufacture the part in AM, the benefits will be
manifolds.
