Additive manufacturing to go mainstream, says Subcon

A Subcon survey shows UK manufacturing is keen to change production processes for additive manufacturing.

The survey results were released ahead of its exposition at the National Exhibition Centre June 6 – 8, alongside the Advanced Manufacturing Show and The Engineer Design and Innovation Show.

Subcon said nearly a quarter of its respondents use additive manufacturing or 3D printing for production components and 85 per cent said they expected to do so in the next five years. Just a year ago only 21 per cent said they would use additive manufacturing for production components in the next five years and 35 per cent said they might.

This trend is opening a market for subcontracting manufacturing services, as a third of respondents said they would use an external supplier to produce these components.

Of those companies that already have components produced by additive manufacturing, 37 per cent use an external supplier.

The results show that the supply chain for additive manufacturing will expand in future, as Marc Saunders of Renishaw said: “Additive manufacturing is undergoing a revolution as it moves from the model and tooling shop and onto the factory floor, allowing firms to create innovative new products that deliver increased performance in use and which could not be produced conventionally.”

Speakers at the expo will include Marc Saunders, Richard Hague of Nottingham University, Andreas Langfeld of Stratasys, Paul Adams of Vendigital and Desi Bacheva of HiETA.

Saunders will explore the drivers behind this transition and the increased demands that series production places on additive manufacturing to deliver predictable, consistent parts. He will also look at the chains of linked processes and tools that are needed to create an integrated manufacturing process.

Andreas Langfeld will look at the business case for 3D printing and how to understand where it can bring the greatest value, while Richard Hague will look at the next generation of multifunctional additive manufacturing to produce complete products and Desi Bacheva will look at its potential to produce lightweight components for energy-efficient cars.

Registration to attend Subcon is at www.subconshow.co.uk