The benefits of additive manufacturing for part consolidation

AM is uniquely capable of producing complex geometries that can’t be manufactured using traditional methods of manufacturing. A mechanical assembly that would normally have many parts fabricated as separate components and then brought together can be additively manufactured as a single unit, even if the geometry is very complex. In addition to design simplification, there are other tangible benefits to using AM for part consolidation:

Lower overall projection costs

The best and most obvious benefit of consolidating your parts with AM is that needing fewer parts to assemble means you’re spending less money on assembly costs. Taking assembly out of the equation also means that you’ll reduce potential cost-driving factors such as quality control or inventory management. By using additive manufacturing to make multiple parts as one, you’re lessening the risk of hidden costs and project delays.

Less material

In traditional manufacturing, as part complexity increases, part cost also typically increases. With AM, this is not the case – as part complexity increases, part cost does not increase. In many cases the part cost will decrease, because increased complexity often means less material is being used. When using AM, it’s possible to achieve upwards of a 70 percent decrease in materials used compared to traditional manufacturing.

Lower overall risk

Part consolidation reduces or entirely eliminates a number of risks. For example, you can circumvent the risk that your supplier can no longer supply the part in question. This supplier risk is multiplied by the number of parts in the assembly. If you’re able to print multiple parts as a single unit using AM, the chances of encountering this issue greatly decrease.

There are other risks that are reduced as well. The instances of part failure decrease when the part has been manufactured as a single unit rather than assembled separately. Another risk is obsolescence; when the part reaches the end of its life you will not have remaining inventory that must be disposed.

Better performance

In many cases, AM allows you to make a better performing part, because it enables geometries that are desirable but that can’t be made with legacy manufacturing. Some of the applications of AM that have exciting benefits for improved product performance include light weighting, high strength to weight ratio, heat transfer and fluid flow, and energy absorption.