The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent supply chain constraints have highlighted the urgent need for resilient and localized supply chains. Designers, engineers and procurement professionals are searching for supply-chain solutions that lower costs, are responsive and remain resilient in the face of major disruptions.
Manufacturing is undergoing a significant transformation—with digitization disrupting the industry. It is foundational to the global economy, as it brings the incredible innovation taking place across numerous industries to life. Digital marketplaces are the nexus of this transformation.
Digital marketplaces are ushering in a new era in which engineers and enterprise buyers can connect with manufacturers worldwide to make essential products. This paradigm shift affects how future-oriented engineers are sourcing and pricing their additive projects, from conceiving their part designs to manufacturing them.
Digital marketplaces will help expedite innovation by unlocking possibilities for additive projects—creating more access to materials and processes than ever before.
With current supply-chain disruptions—from COVID-19 to material shortages to geopolitical events—visibility within the industry is proving to be difficult. Pricing is opaque, and RFQ processes are time-consuming for buyers and suppliers.
Additionally, buyers do not have a total view of what capabilities are available, and suppliers may not have the reach for projects in their sweet spot. In fact, 75 percent of American manufacturers have fewer than 20 employees and often only have a local-to-local reach, leading to major capacity constraints.
Many traditional industries like manufacturing are not completely documented on either the buyer or supplier sides. There is a lack of “virtual inventory,” in which data would be sufficient to manufacture correctly at alternate locations. With technologies requiring manual setups, the talent is in the machinist and may differ shop to shop.
Additive manufacturing is inherently digital, as the materials, production parameters, software and machines are typically vertically integrated. As such, “the talent is in the machine,” with 3D printing being highly automated.
Additive manufacturing allows complex and optimized geometry—like generative design—and produces parts on demand without tooling. Additionally, it can be replicated through multiple suppliers with a high degree of confidence and implemented perfectly into digital marketplace platforms. This new technology does not rely on old infrastructure.
Digital marketplaces in manufacturing are bridging the gap between buyers and sellers of custom manufacturing, removing much of the opacity from the process, opening the capacity of American manufacturing and inspiring a new wave of economic growth. If we can democratize manufacturing, we can give everyone access to unlimited capacity and emerging technologies such as 3D printing, all while providing thousands of small manufacturers the ability to sell their capacity, grow their businesses and create good jobs.
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