3D Printing: How to simplify digital workflow

The development of new products is associated with a lot of time. 3D printing can help with design, testing and improvement and simplify processes. Read why this is particularly interesting for medium-sized companies.

3D printing is already being used in a wide range of areas: corporations such as automobile manufacturer Volkswagen use this printer technology to produce products in a scalable and on-demand manner. However, large-scale production is not the only area of application for compact printers. Small and medium-sized businesses can also gain advantages from this technology.  

For example, a desktop 3D printer makes it possible to produce components or models within a few hours or even minutes. These parts therefore no longer need to be ordered.

If several such printers are connected in series, a production line can even be formed. For this to work, however, companies must not only introduce 3D printer technology but also digitize and network all internal processes.

Digital workflow with 3D printing

The advantages of 3D printing are numerous. The modularity of production is one example of its potential. A desktop 3D printer is about the size of an A3 sheet of paper. This makes it easy to set up and take down, and it is also up to the producer to decide which material to use. For this purpose, there are various synthetic resins with different impact resistance, temperature resistance, etc.

If the printers are connected to in a row as mentioned above, a production line is created that can be adjusted at any time. You add one, take one away – depending on demand. This enables efficient production on site.

In case of a defect, the damaged printer is simply removed from the chain without having to interrupt the complete production. Companies are thus no longer subject to the minimum number of external service providers. Waiting times can thus be reduced considerably and costs saved considerably.

Image source: iStock / cyano66