Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • 3D CAD
    • Electronics • electrical
    • Fastening & Joining
    • Factory automation
    • Linear Motion
    • Motion Control
    • Test & Measurement
    • Sensors
    • Fluid power
  • Learn
    • Ebooks / Tech Tips
    • Engineering Week
    • Future of Design Engineering
    • MC² Motion Control Classrooms
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • LEAP AWARDS
  • Leadership
    • 2022 Voting
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guide Library
  • Resources
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Women in Engineering
  • Supplier Listings

Direct digital manufacturing: practicing what we preach

By Design World Staff | May 7, 2008

Share

dmr scott crump.jpg

Direct digital manufacturing(aka rapid manufacturing) is improving the productivity and profitability of companies around the globe. In the coming years, it will be as commonplace as molding, casting and machining. The companies that are profiting from it now are the ones that are open to change and willing to break from convention.

Stratasys is an organization that touts direct digital manufacturing (DDM), and yet, within our own company we were resisting changes to established manufacturing processes. Sure, we had fully embraced our own technology for prototyping, but its limited use to manufacture parts for our new machines was frustrating. We were not practicing what we preached.

It should not have come as a surprise. To some degree, every company struggles with change. While vital to progressive and aggressive companies, change can be difficult to facilitate. It seems that resistance to change grows along with the required effort or the perceived risk level. Add an aggressive deadline and no margin for error to the mix and the attitude becomes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Without intervention, current practices can become standard processes that seem to be carved in stone.

The solution to this dilemma was to change the mindset by taking action. For a recently released machine, the design team was required to identify at least a few parts that could benefit from DDM and then apply it. The support of management diminished the risk of breaking from status quo while rewarding positive change. This tactic allowed designers and engineers to experience the benefits and possibilities of DDM. They saw sharp reductions in tooling costs, design constraints and manufacturing lead times.

Our breakthrough came during the design of the recently announced FDM 900mc. As the machine began to take shape, there was a revelation among our engineers – a realization that DDM isn’t just for our customers, but it is a practical and powerful solution for our design and manufacturing teams as well. The change in attitude was palpable. Designers and engineers that were skeptical became enthusiastic. At the start of the program, the engineering team earmarked only three components for DDM. By the time the first machine shipped, it included 32 production parts built via DDM.

The first to embrace DDM was the industrial design team. When told that they could shape the machine and its components without consideration of manufacturing constraints or availability of off-the-shelf items, creativity was unleashed and great ideas sprang up. Not to be outdone, mechanical engineering quickly followed suit. Leveraging the freedom of design, engineering created components that would have been impractical due to tooling cost. In more than one instance, the final design would have been impossible to manufacturing without DDM. Rather than designing for manufacturability, all efforts were dedicated to optimization. The team was free to implement the best ideas instead of what was traditionally considered the most practical. They also had more time to perfect the designs since machining and tooling were removed from the timeline. In a few instances, the rapid response capability turned last minute problems into easy fixes.

It is regrettable that words cannot convey the enthusiasm and excitement that are now a part of any DDM conversation among the design team. It is unfortunate that the sweeping changes to long-standing practices are difficult to quantify. There were numerous benefits realized in design, engineering and manufacturing, but many of them were immeasurable. Collectively, the benefits of DDM were much greater than the roughly $200,000 saved by eliminating tooling and machining.

This was a tremendous learning experience. The design team learned the value of direct digital manufacturing and has been reminded of the benefits of change. Management realized that change might not occur without intervention and encouragement. Most importantly, we discovered that resistance to change may be the biggest obstacle to the adoption of direct digital manufacturing.

Stratasys
www.stratasys.com


Filed Under: Digital manufacturing
Tagged With: stratasys
 

Tell Us What You Think!

Related Articles Read More >

Bosch Rexroth at the digital HANNOVER MESSE: Customers need solutions instead of products
Quality services enhance Fictiv Digital Manufacturing Platform
New factory digitization solution available on ServiceNow’s Now platform
Report: Industrial professionals moving away from company-wide digitizing overhaul to a more focused approach

DESIGN GUIDE LIBRARY

“motion

Enews Sign Up

Motion Control Classroom

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Renishaw next-generation FORTiS™ enclosed linear encoders offer enhanced metrology and reliability for machine tools
  • WAGO’s smartDESIGNER Online Provides Seamless Progression for Projects
  • Epoxy Certified for UL 1203 Standard
  • The Importance of Industrial Cable Resistance to Chemicals and Oils
  • Optimize, streamline and increase production capacity with pallet-handling conveyor systems
  • Global supply needs drive increased manufacturing footprint development

Design World Podcasts

June 12, 2022
How to avoid over engineering a part
See More >
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Design World
  • Advertising
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Engineering White Papers
  • LEAP AWARDS

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • 3D CAD
    • Electronics • electrical
    • Fastening & Joining
    • Factory automation
    • Linear Motion
    • Motion Control
    • Test & Measurement
    • Sensors
    • Fluid power
  • Learn
    • Ebooks / Tech Tips
    • Engineering Week
    • Future of Design Engineering
    • MC² Motion Control Classrooms
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • LEAP AWARDS
  • Leadership
    • 2022 Voting
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guide Library
  • Resources
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Women in Engineering
  • Supplier Listings