Smart Supply Chain: The Ecosystem to Harness All the Benefits of 3D Printing

3D printing is making inroads across numerous sectors and production types, thanks in part to the diverse technologies and materials available and the impressive dimensions that can be achieved. It's a rapidly evolving field that offers an ever-increasing array of possibilities. However, newcomers to additive manufacturing often struggle to fully grasp how to best leverage these advantages for their production needs. In such cases, relying on a smart supply chain can be incredibly useful and functional. Here, a consulting company acts as a proxy, serving as a knowledgeable access point within the sector and connecting the new client's needs with companies that can fully meet their demands. This approach offers several notable advantages, starting with the luxury of conducting tests without incurring direct machinery costs.

But how does a smart supply chain work, and what are its benefits? We discuss this with Gerardo Di Filippo, CEO of MadeInAdd, a Turin-based company boasting the largest 3D printing ecosystem in Italy. With around 200 machines at their disposal, they offer solutions with over 80 materials across all major technologies, from MJF (Multi Jet Fusion) and SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) for plastics, to resins and all metals with DMLS and Binder Jetting, as well as copper and large-scale options.

A Reassuring Entry Point

Not everyone entering the world of additive manufacturing has specialized skills, and the risk of making poor purchasing decisions or choosing the wrong suppliers is high. Therefore, a reputable consulting company in industrial 3D printing aims first and foremost to understand and best meet individual needs. In this regard, two services provided by MadeInAdd are essential:

A Digital and Smart Supply Chain

With a smart supply chain, the end customer always has access to the most up-to-date machines and optimized solutions for realizing their 3D ideas. These technologies are available through a network of certified and qualified partners, forming a formidable ecosystem. The client accesses this ecosystem thanks to the consultancy and expertise of MadeInAdd, which was established to promote broader adoption of additive manufacturing in Italy and better utilization of the additive supply chain in the country.

The relationship with ecosystem suppliers is based on three phases:

1. Data exchange, which is entirely digital and secure for both clients and suppliers, ensuring total transparency and maximum security through highly encrypted files.
2. Customized supply chain creation, based on the specific requirements of each client and the capabilities of the ecosystem. This digital and virtual supply chain is dynamically constructed to match specific needs.
3. Continuous support, where clients can work in self-service mode for clear requests or receive extensive engineering consultancy for complex demands. The supplier network is activated according to the order, always at zero cost to the client. This avoids the need for MadeInAdd to amortize the cost of setting up or maintaining a fixed supply chain.

Tailored Ecosystem for Every Client

Clients' needs and suitable suppliers are matched based on highly selective data, allowing for the creation of a custom digital supply chain tailored to each client's requirements. This dynamic approach ensures clients can experiment with different machines and suppliers without immediately bearing the costs of potentially unsuitable or quickly outdated equipment. This way, they can determine the best technology, costs, and potential obsolescence before deciding whether to internalize the cost after the startup phase of their product.

A Single Front-End for the Client

A dynamic and smart supply chain also offers the end client another significant advantage: time savings. Instead of searching for various suppliers, clients meet a single front-end in companies like MadeInAdd. Thus, the focus is on machine quality and functionality rather than who physically produces the project. The algorithm selects the machines based on the material characteristics required for the final product and chooses the nearest supplier, reducing logistical challenges. In the future, this could also include carbon footprint data for the supply chain.

Clients are also relieved from monitoring output quality and providing feedback to suppliers, which is a delicate phase. Data-driven feedback ensures suppliers meet the expected standards and receive recovery plans if necessary.

Digital Inventory, No More Overstock

Completing the smart supply chain is MadeInAdd's Digital Inventory service. Clients provide a list of their warehouse parts in any format, and MadeInAdd converts them into 3D printing-ready files, optimizing designs or creating new ones through reverse engineering. This allows clients to produce on-demand instead of maintaining physical inventory, offering significant advantages in terms of storage and updates.

Conclusion

In summary, a smart supply chain eliminates uncertain investments, unreliable suppliers, and unnecessary storage. It's a new way of thinking about production, where companies focus on developing new ideas while a vertically integrated, constantly updated digital consultancy finds the best solutions to bring those ideas to life as needed.

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