Zero inventory and fast shipment of spare parts with 3D printing technology

The Asia-Pacific region of Swedish multinational appliance manufacturer Electrolux recently partnered with Spare Parts 3D, a young Singapore technology startup that conducts feasibility studies to assess the on-demand distribution and production of spare parts.

Traditional spare parts strategy can avoid rising costs

In order to support after-sales maintenance and repair, most large manufacturers have stopped production of spare parts for a long time after spare parts production. Common after-sales services often come at the expense of high inventory costs. Not only does the material in the warehouse need to be stored in the warehouse for labor costs and maintenance costs, but some parts remain in the warehouse for a long time and are eventually scrapped. In addition, production costs increase significantly when parts are no longer available through on-site mass production.

For long tails, manufacturers typically centralize warehouses at the factory or distribution center. It can take several weeks to ship parts from the distribution center to the final consumer. Saving inventory in a regional warehouse to reduce delivery time is a solution, but it means higher labor and maintenance costs.

3D printing has the potential to be a solution to minimize inventory costs and lead times.

As technology matures, Electrolux Asia Pacific is considering the advantages of 3D printing as a way to reduce inventory and increase efficiency. Electrolux can produce parts on demand through a 3D printing service provider platform. This strategy means zero inventory and can also be shipped quickly.

To test the feasibility, Electrolux Asia Pacific collaborated with Spare Parts 3D in Singapore for technical and economic evaluation. The study consisted of five steps.

Directory selection: Spare Parts 3D will be the best partner for Electrolux Asia Pacific to maximize cost savings without additional investment. The two keys are 1. 3D printability - some types of spare parts can only be achieved by 3D printable. 2, profit margin

Industrialization: In order to optimize economic efficiency, Spare Parts 3D will conduct integration projects to determine the best materials and the most efficient production parameters.

Digitization: A digital list of the best production parameters for each selected reference.

Qualification: Quality inspection and inspection of the final version.

Profitability analysis: 3D printing spare parts and cost comparisons produced by traditional means.

The future of spare parts depends on 3D printing

3D printing technology is considered a powerful complement to traditional manufacturing techniques. Spare parts management is bound to be a surge in 3D printing. Using a global 3D printer network to produce and supply standard spare parts as needed, manufacturers can eliminate inventory and reduce shipments to the last mile. A recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts that the future of spare parts will be 3D. In five years, more than 85% of spare parts suppliers will integrate 3D printing into their business, as 3D printing will enable suppliers to increase the availability of spare parts and reduce Delivery time, reduce costs.