Boeing and partners establish a fully controllable distributed 3D printing network

China3D printingNet, September 3, relying on Assembrix’s digital platform, Boeing, EOS, BEAMIT and 3T Additive Manufacturing have established a fully controlled distributed 3D printing network across continents. The network can produce parts remotely and securely directly on EOS 3D printers, heralding the future where distributed additive manufacturing (AM) may become part of the standard production workflow.

Assembrix CEO Lior Polak said: “We are providing customers with a virtual additive manufacturing factory where 3D printers using various technologies and located in different geographical locations can be remotely and safely controlled.The key to facilitating this process is Assembrix’s Virtual Manufacturing System (VMS), which virtualizes industrial 3D printing and supervises the entire AM thread from the initial 3D model to the verified physics. Using VMS, jobs can be safely assigned to individual machines, with IP protection and auditable transaction tracking. The customer can then monitor the job in real time, and can monitor the data from the machine to ensure that they are operating within the correct parameters. This includes cooling, printing speed, temperature and humidity in the cabin.

The exact details of the printed parts, including when, where, and how to print, may not be disclosed because of the sensitivity of the aerospace and military industries. Assembrix began to establish a partnership with Boeing in 2018, with the goal of quickly and safely transferring production data to 3D printers in its global factories. Because BEAMIT’s subsidiary 3T is located in the UK, we can imagine Boeing Israel’s 3T company in Berkshire producing their parts on EOS machines.

“Being able to connect customers directly and securely to AM machines anywhere in the world has always been a long-term vision in the community. The end-to-end digital integration of the supply chain transforms the traditional manufacturing business model into a scalable and flexible virtual warehouse network. Used for on-demand supply, and embedded safety and quality into the system. Being able to digitize the entire value chain together with our strategic partner Sandvik means that the BEAMIT Group is now able to provide the next generation of advanced manufacturing services,” 3T Said Dan Johns, CEO of Additive Manufacturing and Chief Technology Officer of BEAMIT Group.
The security of the network is established through the combination of blockchain and the tight integration of Assembrix and EOS software. As one of the original members of the EOS Developer Network, the company was able to use EOSPRINT and EOSCONNECT API to create its controlled distributed manufacturing network.



Assembrix’s solution (PRNewsfoto/Assembrix)

Markus Glasser, Senior Vice President of EOS Europe, Middle East and Africa, talked about some of the advantages of distributed manufacturing. He said: “Industrial 3D printing allows demand-driven production, streamlines processes, and makes the supply chain more robust and sustainable. Thanks to real-time reporting , Flexibility and performance, combining technology with digital manufacturing structure can achieve maximum transparency. This method has many benefits, including improving the transparency of the supply chain, adapting products to personal or regional tastes, and even reducing the product’s carbon footprint .”

There are many 3D printing networks and services with multiple production locations, but distributed manufacturing is still the shining point in the eyes of dreamers. For example, GE Additive’s manufacturing partner network and SAP’s distributed manufacturing platform are designed to allow customers to produce parts through partners in the network. However, news related to any one is not very important, raising questions about the breadth of these two networks.
Service providers such as Sculpteo, Materialise, Shapeways, Protolabs, Xometry, FATHOM, Fast Radius, and Stratasys Direct Manufacturing may use multiple production locations and partners to deliver parts closer to customers, but it is difficult to label these distributed manufacturing networks Not yet.

China3D printingNet comment: The ultimate goal is to be able to produce parts closest to the place of use, thereby reducing numerous stops in the supply chain and related costs and greenhouse gas emissions. We are far from achieving this goal. As far as this story is concerned, Boeing and its partners may be working hard to deliver components on demand, but this is just a small step in the right direction. By clearly focusing on the goal of distributed manufacturing, Assembrix may become an important participant in establishing an appropriate software infrastructure.

(Editor in charge: admin)