Mainstreaming of Additive Manufacturing

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The mainstreaming of additive manufacturing  in McKinsey

March 15, 2022 | ArticleThe mainstreaming of additive manufacturing

After 40 years of development, what will it take for additive manufacturing to become more than a niche technology?

 Article (6 pages)

The heist at the center of the 2018 ensemble comedy movie Ocean’s 8 required the protagonists to switch valuable jewels for 3-D-printed copies. “Replicators,” which generate food or tools from basic raw materials, have been a staple of science fiction in film and TV for generations. Yet while Hollywood has been quick to seize on the potential of additive manufacturing (AM), these technologies have been slow to find their blockbuster applications in real-world manufacturing.

Compared with traditional production approaches, AM technologies offer four potential sources of value. First, their ability to generate almost any 3-D shape allows designers the freedom to create parts that perform better or cost less than conventional alternatives. For example, an additively manufactured titanium bracket produced by Airbus is 30 percent lighter than its predecessor without compromising performance or durability.

Second, with no need for molds or fixed tooling, every part produced by a machine can be unique, paving the way for mass-scale customization. Test equipment maker Vectoflow uses AM to produce bespoke probes for fluid flow–measurement applications. Its microlaser sintering process enables compact and complex designs with streamlined shapes to minimize impact on the flows being measured. Probes are manufactured in a range of materials to suit the required operating environment, including stainless steel, titanium, and various superalloys.

Third, eliminating time-consuming toolmaking and fabrication operations accelerates both product development and production, reducing time to market. The complex fuel injector head used in the latest Ariane 6 rocket is additively manufactured as a single piece of nickel-based alloy. Previous iterations of this part were welded together from 248 individually machined components.

Finally, AM can simplify the maintenance and support of products in the field, reducing the need for spare-parts inventories by enabling on-demand production of items from digital files. Carmaker Mercedes-Benz, for example, now uses AM to produce spare parts for its classic vehicles.

The race is on ... '