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How 3D printing gives Boeing strong competitive advantage

Boeing is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells aircraft, rockets, rotorcraft, satellites, and missiles worldwide. Apart from these, the company also provides leasing and product support services. [1]

Just like AirBus, Boeing is among the largest global aircraft manufacturers. It is also the largest exporter in the United States and ranks fifth-largest defense in the world.

3D printers work by depositing material layer by layer to create a solid object.

Thermoplastics like ABS and Polypropylene are most commonly used, but printing with ceramics, titanium, sand, and stainless steel, is also becoming more popular.

About 4–6 years ago, 3D printing was mainly used to create prototypes for showcasing purposes to a specific audience. But now the technology is being used for a range of functions like:

3D printing enables engineers to understand in advance how the finishing product will perform, before going in for mass production.

Also known as ‘additive manufacturing’, it is a strategy for last-minute and customized production providing logistics and supply chain commercial model flexibility and agility.

Boeing uses 3D printing technology for the seamless production of its aircraft.

The first time additive manufacturing was used by Boeing was to build the SES-15 spacecraft. It emphasized the way additive manufacturing would function in an integrated assembly.

When applied in conjunction with new composite and adhesive materials yielded a low cost, lightweight, and thermally stable design solution. Now the entire Boeing flight system hardware is 3D printed.

It has invested in Digital Alloys Inc., a Burlington, Mass.-based company that provides additive manufacturing systems that produce 3D-printed parts. The 3D printing technology swiftly combines multiple metals into each part, enhancing magnetic, electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties.

The process allows metals like titanium and high-temperature alloys to be 3D printed for parts that could be used on Boeing’s products.

So far Boeing has used additive manufacturing technology to make 60,000 parts for its planes.

As we know commercial jet programs invest huge money into initial research and engineering before cutting expenses.

Commercial jets like Boeing 787 Dreamliner commonly use titanium which costs almost seven times more than aluminum. Due to this Boeing used to be in losses until 2016 when it started using 3D-printed titanium components. 3D printing helped in bringing these costs down.

Boeing is ever-increasingly using additive manufacturing in order to speed up the manufacturing process, achieve flexibility and efficiency, decrease cost, and manufacture aircraft that burn less fuel.

1. A continuous single digital thread from design to production

In 3D printing, from design to production all processes are driven by a single digital design which is refined periodically based on analysis, feedback, and testing. This transformative production enables ‘free form’ design. Un-producible design configurations can now be produced proactively.

Designers can work on creative structural solutions development and implement them later.

2. Reducing emissions

3D printing makes it possible to use lighter materials like titanium or ceramic. Lighter aircraft tend to burn less fuel, thus reducing harmful emissions.

This reduces time-to-market lead time, sustaining the company in a dynamic market and customer demand.

3. Unified Assembly line operation,

Sales teams work closely with the production teams during the manufacturing process to check all sales deadlines are met.

In a conventional assembly line process like engineered-to-order products, materials and tools need to be changed for each individual job and reprogrammed for each customer and product.

Whereas in additive manufacturing, assembly is a single operation, and set up time is reduced to nearly zero. It gives flexibility to the production and sales teams. Now sales department can push orders quicker without waiting for optimal production windows. [2]

4. Superior and faster, Speeding up production

3D printers can rapidly print 20–30 completely different products consecutively. Far more advance than injection molding or die casting production methods.

Boeing’s commercial aircraft backlog was 5,849 at the end of September. 3D printers have reduced Boeing’s massive order backlogs.

5. Less labor

The amount of labor needed in the manufacturing process using additive manufacturing is significantly less. Fewer parts/sub-assemblies mean fewer resources required to assemble those components. [3]

6. Efficiency- reduction in required inventory

Boeing can print parts on demand rather than storing and maintaining them in physical locations. Shipping and storing spare parts are expensive for suppliers and their customers.

Inventory can be less occupied with infrequently used parts, making space for more used parts.

7. Cost

Usually, casts and molds are manufactured very much in advance and are not always modifiable. A lot of money and time is invested into tools. 3D printing helps to minimize the need for expensive tools and casts.

The above technology definitively helps Boeing achieve flexibility in the supply chain process and gain sustainable competitive advantages in today’s dynamic economy.

References to sources:

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How 3D printing gives Boeing strong competitive advantage

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