Approximated 20 miles east of Pittsburgh which is the previous center of the steel industry in the nation, a small firm ExOne is mixing up a newest development of door knobs, oil pump parts and stainless steel boat propellers. Rather they form a dozen of 3-D printers from thousands of layers of powdered metal into the canvas until they create a three dimensional shape. The functions of the machines i8s the same with the document printers. They operate automatically and once in a while an operator adds powder, plans out the design of a new part of the machine and they separate the result. Because of this newly industrial development, it could make the U.S. manufacturing more aggressive all over the world than before, it might also be the key to bring back more jobs to the U.S..
Nowadays, digital technology is served to redevelop a sector that seems to be the manufacturing that is very immune from the world of programmed systems. Late 1980s additive manufacturing or the 3-D printing has been utilized, it handles limited runs of actual components for products as product quality enhanced and printing speeds elevate. Based on the president of Wohlers Associates, Terry Wohlers, last year part production created a quarter of the $1.7 billion in sales of 3-D printers and services. Part making by 2019 is anticipated to establish 80 percent of the $6.9 billion revenue for the industry. The growth can be seen in the increasing ranks of businessmen and hobbyists that purchase some latest models of printers that cost about $2,000.
Since 2005, the amount of industrial printers sold yearly were doubled and the top makers are 3D Systems and Stratasys. The technology can counteract the low-cost labor advantage that India and China have beyond U.S.. 3-D printing might give the U.S. the ability to supply quick product launches and it will fasten the reshoring trend that may bring back the numbers of manufacturers in the United States. The increasing numbers of factories that will transfer to the U.S. should increase the employment acquisitions. To support of bringing the manufacturing in the center, the federal government released a $45 million that will create innovations in the growing industry.
ExOne creates 3-D printers for their manufacturers however, they also utilize the machines to produce parts of the agreement support. Recently, in one printer a corporate trophy and a torque converter for a car transmission were being developed and another was creating fingers of a prosthetic hand, another was printing 12 stove burners out of 500 orders. As much as 90 percent of the raw material are being wasted in the standard manufacturing, but in 3-D printing it lowers these numbers and decreases the inventory costs. On the other hand, it also has its disadvantage, it costs several hundred thousand dollars or more for just industrial-size 3-D printers than $50,000 for a milling machine. Approximately 60 times is the cost of its printing materials than the traditional equivalents. To minimize and decrease the start-up costs and delays for customized parts done in limited amount.
REFERENCES:
http://d2pnews.com/index.php/2012/07/11/3-d-printing-could-transform-u-s-manufacturing/
http://news.yahoo.com/3d-printing-center-aims-boost-us-manufacturing-201149938.html
http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680425/a-new-3-d-printing-center-aims-to-recreate-us-manufacturing
