Benefits to Industry
SMD is ideal for use in prototype production and manufacturing, eliminating the need for tooling and shortening development lead-times. Near-net manufacture can significantly reduce operational costs for complex, hollowed components, allowing lighter aircraft to be built and reducing fuel costs. It uses no tooling and has low to zero harmful emissions.
SMD can build one part as easily as several thousand and each part can readily be customised through changes to the CAD model or by machining and re-depositing material. SMD can be used to create radically new designs which cannot be manufactured any other way. It is also exceptionally suited to repair, one-off or short runs of parts and hybrids where small bosses are added to otherwise flat shapes.
Specific benefits :
- Reduction of 60% in the lead-time necessary to produce new parts
- Reduction in the cost of manufacturing final products by 40%
- Reduction in the cost of inventory held of 90%
Reduction in lead time and cost:
- No tooling necessary
- Less raw material required
- Parts / prototypes can be altered after the build has finished by simply removing or adding material
- Less finish machining required
- Development of a mechatronic system that allows the operator to leave the process unattended
Reduction in inventory
- No tooling required
- Fewer fixtures required
Reinforcing competitiveness:
SMD is an ideal technology to support the cost and quality requirements of mass customisation– each part is made directly from the CAD file from wire, so changes in part size, geometry or material can easily be accommodated. Lead times for new parts are reduced as there is no need to make moulds or fixtures and the parts themselves can be used as prototypes.
Since the process uses off-the-shelf equipment, capital investment is low, maintenance is easy and as the system is modular, it can be upgraded to accommodate larger parts.
New intellectual property can be licensed and sold, increasing sustainable investment in the process and in Europe.
Impact on SMEs:
The situation of Europe is radically different from Japan, USA and China since it is characterised by many SMEs building limited quantities of customised components. The introduction of SMD will allow European SMEs to compete in the global market. As part of RAPOLAC,a business case was developed for SME use. The use of SMD should bring about:
- an increase in productivity when manufacturing aerospace components,
- reduced leadtimes for the successful development of new products