Position Your Company for the Future of Manufacturing

Historically manufacturers had to be innovative, efficient, and customer-centric to succeed. While these qualities still give manufacturers an edge over competitors, in the past year agility is what has truly set successful businesses apart. In response to changing consumer demands and unpredictable supply chain failures, companies that prepared to respond with agility stayed open, while many others shuttered the doors.

One of the tools that agile manufacturers used in 2020 was additive manufacturing (AM) and they used it for more than prototyping. When the supply chain failed, AM bridged the gap. So how can you prepare your company for changing consumer demands? Essentium says the answer is to position yourself for the future of manufacturing with the new Essentium High Speed Extrusion (HSE™) 280i HT 3D Printer. On top of the industry-leading performance that the HSE 180 3D Printing Platform offers, the true independent dual extruders (IDEX) give manufacturers the agility to meet customer demand.

As a supplier and as a manufacturer, Essentium has seen how having AM in the tool belt positions companies to respond to changing demand. That is why investing in the HSE 280i 3D Printer is vital for preparing for the future of manufacturing

The Future of Rapid Prototyping

When developing a new product, designing and iterating with traditional manufacturing methods can cost thousands of dollars, and it can take weeks to complete. Manufacturing companies face this challenge constantly, and when supply chain disruptions happen, weeks can turn into months. With the HSE 280i HT 3D Printer, utilize the print speeds and five print modes to reduce time to prototype from weeks to days.

The Future of Material Selection

Material selection is more than choosing the best material for the application. Manufacturers also have to take production time, cost, and post-production time into consideration. Once the material is selected and parts are produced, it is costly to pivot to another option. On the HSE 280i HT 3D Printer, material changes can be executed quickly and without any costly tool changes. Additionally, Essentium has an open ecosystem for materials, to allow customers to use the best material for the application, even if it is outside of the Essentium portfolio.

The Future of Time-to-Market

Traditional manufacturing methods use tools that need to be designed, iterated, manufactured, and shipped. This entire process can take months, even with the best suppliers on the planet. When traditional manufacturing falls short, the HSE 280i HT 3D Printer can bridge the gap. As more than just a prototyping tool, this powerhouse 3D printer can print end-use parts with complex geometries, overmolding applications with Multi-Material Mode, and high-temperature materials for injection molding tools, to ensure that production lines don’t go down.

When supply chains went down for personal protection equipment (PPE) in March of 2020, Essentium was able to put the agility of high speed extrusion to the test. With direct manufacturing, Essentium printed and shipped more than 71,000 reusable mask frames made with Essentium PA (thermoplastic nylon) in less than 90 days. The frames were designed for single-use, replaceable filtration media that is BFE95 certified, which created more than 4 million mask equivalents. These masks went to the guardsmen and women of the National Guard deployed at testing sites, the Pflugerville Police Department, the Sulzer Corporation, and other local manufacturers in Austin, TX. Check out our white paper, Bridging the Hybrid Era of Manufacturing, for an in-depth look at how Essentium used direct manufacturing to react to customer demand and force majeure.

The Future of QMS

If a manufacturer needs 10,000 parts a year, it is a no-brainer to choose AM, but what if their usage is 100,000 parts a year? Can they still produce at that quantity and maintain quality management systems (QMS)? With the HSE HT 280i 3D Printing Platform, Essentium says yes. However, the printing platform is critical.

Due to the machine-to-machine variation in desktop printers, piece-to-piece variation is too high, preventing any statistical process control (SPC). The Essentium HSE 280i HT 3D Printing Platform has all linear servo motors and log files, allowing users to track quality on an ongoing basis to have a statistically relevant manufacturing capacity.

When events like sudden changes in customer demand or massive problems, such as COVID-19, turn the global supply chain on its head, prepare to respond. The HSE 280i HT 3D Printer gives customers the agility to design, prototype, and produce direct manufactured end-use parts in a matter of weeks. That kind of agility positions companies for success.

How are you positioning your company to respond? Request a quote to see how the HSE 280i HT 3D Printer can launch your production into the future of manufacturing.

For a closer look at Essentium’s newest technology, visit the Essentium Experience.