Direct Digital Manufacturing is Poised for Lift-off
Direct digital manufacturing may represent
the next great advancement in manufacturing, shortening the development
cycle or even replacing current manufacturing processes.
Direct digital manufacturing is a technology perfectly positioned to capitalize on trends in today's economy. From extreme sports to interior design, new market segments--and new products--are being developed that target individual consumer characteristics, such as gender, location, heritage and even ear size. DDM--defined by the Rapid Technologies and Additive Manufacturing group as the creation of a final product going directly from an electronic (or digital) representation of the geometry via additive manufacturing--has the potential to be able to mass produce these customized products.
The Benefits of DDM
With direct digital manufacturing, very low-volume production runs are
possible, and production can be based on sales expectations tailored to
meet current financial projections. The financial process is no
different from a large-volume production run, except the DDM cycle does
not require the capital investment. While the indirect costs of
manufacturing--sales and marketing--will still be present, even they
can significantly be reduced when targeting niche markets.
DDM also allows for much greater control over time to market and limits access to design detail, providing greater control over the market risk of investment. Producing directly from the electronic files ensures the deliveries--and the design--are controllable. And almost all associated costs can be transferred on a per part basis. On the other hand, DDM will not yield the low-cost product of a large-volume production run and the economies of scale are often where profits can be made.
Proving the Design
In traditional manufacturing, can DDM play a role in proving the design
concept? With the potential for a new market, long-term return on
investment can be a reason for investors to take a risk. DDM can help
mitigate risks associates with buying manufacturing equipment purchases
until after the product is tested in the market.
Many new ideas originate in smaller organizations or come from entrepreneurs who have limited funds to devote to product development. Design experts typically do not have in-depth marketing and manufacturing knowledge, so their cost models are developed from best "guesstimates." The cost to manufacture and distribute a product can be so high that the idea has to be discarded. Costs climb with each product redesign, and only once when the design is final can the hard costs be fixed, and obtaining additional funding necessary at this point can be very difficult.
DDM may become a safe way for new products to prove their viability. The ability to produce the parts in controlled parameters will be facilitated by a design allowing for acceptable deviation. Manufacturers that wish to position themselves for these markets will work to minimize this deviation or to define it for consideration in the design. As the overlap between design, materials and processing opens a window of opportunity, businesses will further integrate DDM into the manufacturing processes.
The absence of traditional geometry constraints imposed by conventional production processes allows for even greater safety factors to be applied to the design. This design freedom also enables new load distribution options. How well these are applied to mitigating design risk is yet to be seen. As technologies develop, the option for gradient materials will become more widely available. The ability to control and change, the type of material deposited enables greater control on the functionality of the design at any given point or feature in the product. Producing products from these gradient materials will open another fold for the growth and implementation of DDM.
What's Next
The availability of easy to use software and a lack of educated
designers are two problems facing the broader adoption of DDM
technology. Data needs to be compiled regarding equipment and materials
to determine the long term safety and viability of DDM-produced parts.
Obtaining financing will be influenced by the number of parts that can
be produced and the expected life of the product.
Self-funding or independent sourcing of funds will probably be necessary because the small yield associated with the emerging DDM technology does not attract the venture capital markets -- currently there is not an abundant market for low dollar venture capitalists.
We are seeing more applications for rapid prototyping in the marketplace, but rapid manufacturing has yet to be embraced. In order to succeed, DDM needs to attract major funding sources, such as smaller private ventures working with the service providers, where competition is not as fierce and stories can be shared. As the final product or transitional volume production, DDM will continue to help new products emerge.
Carl Dekker is the president of
MET-L-FLO Inc. (Geneva, IL). He is a past chair of the RTAM and is
currently the chair of the Direct Digital Manufacturing Tech Group.
