The latest Annual Manufacturing Report has revealed what benefits manufacturing and engineering companies get or expect to get from additive manufacturing.
Additive manufacturing has made an enormous difference to manufacturers and its future would appear to be bright.
Almost all the world’s largest industrial organisations have invested heavily in the technology, with machine and equipment vendors responding in kind. The cost of entry has significantly dropped over the past five years, while additive’s capabilities and real-world use-cases have boomed.
When businesses were asked if they use any element of additive manufacturing or 3D printing, more than two-thirds (69%) said yes, and the range of benefits they derived from it is impressive.
The flexibility additive now brings was highest rated benefit at 54%, followed by reductions in production, cycle time and costs at 46%.
Improvements in accuracy (38%), increased output (30%) and improved quality (23%) all point to the power of additive to improve manufacturing performance.
In line with responses to recent reports on automation, only a handful of businesses (15%) said they saw additive manufacturing as a way to reduce staff costs.
You might also be interested in reading our recent article – also based on figures from the Annual Manufactring Report 2017, what’s holding businesses back from investing in additive manufacturing?
You can download the full Annual Manufacturing Report 2017 here.
The Manufacturer Smart Factory Expo
Nov 15-16, 2017 – Exhibition Centre Liverpool
The UK’s biggest showcase for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) – a revolution in manufacturng agility, innovation and thinking.
Highlighting the best solution providers and technology offerings, this unique FREE event is for manufacturing business leaders keen to adopt the relevant tools and knowledge to drive business growth.
New for 2017:
- Buyer Lounges – matching buyers and sellers
- Tech Zones – Industrial IoT, Automation & Robotics, Additive Manufacturing, Digital Transformation, and Big Data
- Solution Theatres – engaging expo attendees with case studies and cutting-edge developments
- Mentor Clinics – find the answers to your questions
- Innovation Alley – growing the expo ecosystem with hardware start-ups
