Survey by reichelt elektronik and OnePoll provides insight into the use, opportunities and difficulties of 3D printing in the German industry
3D printing has attracted increasing attention in recent years due to its great potential for industrial manufacturing. Using this technology and automated processes can – at least in theory – save a lot of time and money. reichelt elektronik wanted to find out how widespread its use has become in German companies, what effects it has on the respective companies and where obstacles still have to be overcome. In cooperation with OnePoll, they conducted a survey among company decision-makers.
The survey covered employees and managers from the fields of design, development, production and technology who are significantly involved in technical decisions. The companies come from the manufacturing sector, logistics, pharmaceutical industry, energy sector and IT & development.
3D printing becomes a standard especially for single parts
First of all, 3D printing has become widely accepted as a technical standard for businesses. Seventy percent of the companies surveyed use 3D printing, and 62 percent have their own equipment right at their workplace. The most common application for 3D printing is the production of demonstration models. 84 percent of respondents said their company uses 3D printing for this type of application. The vast majority (66%) are satisfied with the use of 3D printing for this purpose.
The development of prototypes is also very popular. For this, 82 percent of the companies surveyed use 3D printing. 71 percent are satisfied with the possibilities in this area.
The manufacturing process is used by 79 percent of the companies to produce spare parts, with 59 percent of them not complaining about these processes. On the other hand, 20 percent of the respondents are not yet satisfied with the spare parts produced by 3D printing. This raises the question of where 3D printing technology still needs to be improved.
The most used filaments
Most companies (81%) print with plastic filaments such as ABS, PLA or PETG. In addition, composites (49%) are already widely used. The option of using metals as a material is usually more expensive, but this process is also used by 38 percent of the companies surveyed.
Less known options such as printing with materials like ceramics, wax, synthetic resin or paper are used by 32 percent. Cement is currently used as a raw material by only 8 percent of companies.
Filaments with which companies would like to print in the future include silicone (FQM), wood or wood-like materials, textiles and glass, refractory raw materials, carbon, active ingredients and auxiliary materials for pills, rubber and food. The desire for a wider range of materials indicates that the potential of 3D printing is far from exhausted and that companies will in future manufacture their products individually with new raw materials, according to customer requirements.
There is still room for improvement in speed and precision
When asked about the difficulties companies face when dealing with 3D printing, 29 percent said that creating 3D prints takes too much time. Another 29 percent also found the quality of the products unsatisfactory. The same applies to difficulties in forming the required shapes due to voids or size limitations.
These shortcomings suggest that the underlying computer technology and application options of 3D printing devices still need to be developed. However, errors and inaccuracies can also have other causes. For example, a user may be using an inappropriate printer or material. Errors can also be made in computer design, printer operation, or software. The further the technology advances and the greater the know-how of the users, the better these sources of error can be avoided.
Majority sees great future potential – also as a way out of the crisis
A staggering 86 percent of the companies surveyed plan to invest more in 3D printing and expand the use of it within their organization. 43 percent said they planned to do so as a direct result of the Corona crisis. So many see this as an opportunity to compensate for business lost as a result of the corona crisis through possible cost savings or expansion of offerings. Although this initially involves expenditure to purchase the equipment, the resulting savings mean that the profitability of this acquisition is high.
In general, 76 percent of those surveyed consider in-house production to be a sensible way of overcoming delays in the supply chain.
This is backed up by information on the positive effects of using 3D printing on the profitability of the companies surveyed. 56 percent of the companies using the process have been able to increase productivity and 52 percent have saved costs. More than half of them (51%) have also expanded their product range, while 41 percent report that they have been able to open up new business opportunities using 3D printing technology.
These figures raise great expectations about the future potential of 3D printing processes, which are confirmed by further survey results: 35 percent of the participating companies plan to introduce in-house production using for example 3D printing within the next twelve months. In addition, 55 percent are confident that 3D printing will become more important in the supply chain in the next year or two. So, it will be exciting to see how the technical possibilities and the spread of 3D printing develop – and whether the high expectations for this technology are confirmed. At the moment, the survey suggests that there are some signs of this.
Images: Adobe Stock, reichelt elektronik
