Based on a 2019 Wohlers Report, 3D printing industry will grow $35.6billion by 2024. Gradually more and more sectors invest in 3D printing technology. They are doing so harvesting the benefits of its manufacturing capabilities and welcoming the cost reductions it can offer adopting them finally into their production and manufacturing processes.
Robotics and 3D printing by example
One of the biggest examples of extensive use of 3D printing technologies in robotics is the German robotics company Kuka (https://www.kuka.com/). Kuka has managed to create an extensive portfolio of robots (grippers, welders etc) to satisfy different production needs for its customers. Kuka decided the easiest way to form series of similar robots, is to consider employing 3D printing technology to manufacture their prototypes for some extensive tests. Also, Kuka 3D prints most of the jigs and fixtures they need during their manufacturing processes in-house, minimising cost and time.
A win-win combination for many companies is the marriage of 3D printing technology along with industrial robots to automate many of their manufacturing stages and processes. Industries that invest into the integration of those two are already ahead of the competition.
Other important applications of the robots in 3D printing, include the process and management of a 3D printing hub where a consistent workflow as well as the removal, cleaning and replacing of the printing beds is required very often. They can also be used to sort out the manufactured parts and assist in the logistics side of things reducing times. This illustrates the ideal example of the combination of 3D printing and robotics.
The benefits of such a development
Such a combination will adopt the benefits of both robotics and additive manufacturing delivering the most efficient manufacturing approach an industrial sector has ever seen! Simply because the benefits of this hybrid result can be:
1) Bigger and heavier objects can be manufactured more accurately and repeatedly. In some industries (e.g. automotive, food industries) is critical from health and safety point of view the repetition of some tasks.
Those tasks usually end to employees strains and pains. In such cases, robots can really be of a great assistance.
2) Both technologies integrated in one to offer an extremely efficient and automated manufacturing line. As a consequence logistics time as well as setting up times will be reduced and as an additional consequence, operational costs can be reduced dramatically.
3) A multi axis robotic arm acting as a 3D printer when needed can print any object in any direction and angle required, expanding his degrees of freedom and its ability to 3D print challenging geometries. By that extremely complex tasks that require high manoeuvrability will be resolved or tasks that require a tool insert in very tight places.
4) A result of all the above can be a more environmentally friendly manufacturing approach where the material waste is reduced to the absolute minimum resulting sustainable manufacturing
Robots and 3D printing in industrial applications
The giant manufacturer Stratasys has already achieved that back in 2016 by combining robotics and 3D printing resulting in a Robotic Composite 3D Demonstrator and Infinite-Build 3D Demonstrator. https://www.compositesworld.com/news/stratasys-debuts-infinite-build-robotic composite-3d-printers
In 2018, consultancy McKinsey and Company, published the following article The next horizon for industrial manufacturing: Adopting disruptive digital technologies in making and delivering https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/the-next-horizon-for-industrial-manufacturing.
Two of the upcoming disruptive technologies in the report are robotics and additive manufacturing. Those two are part of the 5 technologies (machine learning, advanced automation, additive manufacturing, robotics, artificial intelligence) that will lead to the 4th industrial revolution or the so-called Industry 4.0. In the near future we will discuss about the efficiency of those smart factories.
Further sources to go through:
• https://amfg.ai/2018/08/15/3d-printing-and-robotics-create-smart-factories/
• https://all3dp.com/2/3d-printed-robot-print-robots/
• https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/universal-robots-on-automation-for-3d-printing-smes-140918/
• https://www.azorobotics.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=332
Bonus
• https://3dtechnologies4u.com/2020/07/16/3d-printing-technologies/
