Cost Efficiency

Question 1

When does additive manufacturing enable the proiftable production of individual pieces?

Answer 1

In small and medium batches.

Question 2

What are the 2 main categories where 3D printing brings economic benefits to the industrial manufacturing chain?

Answer 2

1. Supply Chain 2. Design Optimization

Question 3

What are the 3 key drivers of cost-efficient production with 3D printing?

Answer 3

1. Faster time to market
2. Reduced weight and assembly times.
3. “Simple” product customizations and advantageous high mix-low volume productions.

Question 4

Industrial 3D printing allows what to be produced profitably?

Answer 4

Individual pieces in small and medium batches.

Question 5

When it comes to cost-efficiency, what does EOS’s suite of industrial printers allow you to produce?

Answer 5

You can produce complex components in the shortest possible time.

Question 6

When comparing conventional manufacturing to 3D printing, one advantage of AM, is that the production costs are not dependent on what?

Answer 6

The complexity of the component.

Question 7

What are 3 common conventional manufacturing processes that 3D printing competes with?

Answer 7

1. Milling 2. Turning 3. Casting

Here, production costs are dependent upon the complexity of the component.

Question 8

What were 2 innefficient requisites of conventional manufacturing that were previously necessary?

Answer 8

1. Expensive tools 2. Complex specialized solutions

N - Conventional manufacturing is rooted in expensive tools and complex specialized solutions - P

Question 9

The expensive tooling and complex specialized solutions required in conventional manufacturing potentionally represented what difficulty?

Answer 9

A risk factor for completion on schedule.

Question 10

Compared to some of the inefficient and potentially hazardous required production components of conventional manufacturing, what are the 2 simple prerequisites for the trouble-free production of the alternative?

Answer 10

A 3D printer and powder material.

Question 11

What does EOS’ “integrated functionality” allow manufacturers to save on?

Answer 11

Material and weight.

Question 12

With additive manufacturing, what is (almost exclusively) the determining cost factor?

Answer 12

External geometry!

Question 13

Does the complexity of a 3D printed part effect production times and costs?

Answer 13

It does play a minor role.

Question 14

How can you save on material and weight?

Answer 14

By designing lightweight structures.

Question 15

What are examples of intelligently integrated functionality?

Answer 15

1. Springs 2. Hinge joints

N - 3DP manufacturers design intelligently integrated functionality, for example: Springs, Hinge Joints.

Question 16

What 3 things does intelligently integrated functionality reduce.

Answer 16

1. Reduces the number of components. 2. Reduces administrative costs in ERP systems. 3. Reduces assembly costs.