Atlas Copco has reported production cost reductions of 30% and lead time reductions of 92% since transitioning to in-house polymer additive manufacturing.
Installing an EOS P 396 3D printer, Atlas Copco has said it has been able to shorten its supply chain and lower its environmental impact, in addition to the cost and time savings.
Atlas Copco provides technology, products, and solutions to many industries, including automotive, where it designs and produces over 70 types of self-piercing rivets, associated tooling and equipment for a range of automotive manufacturers.
Eighteen months ago, Atlas Copco commenced a ‘sprint project’ to take advantage of new market opportunities in, for example, the electric vehicle space by bringing 3D printing in-house. In doing so, the company was hoping to become more agile and reduce lead times for its customers.
EOS and its technical consultancy, Additive Minds, were brought in to support the project early on, working closely with Atlas Copco to support cost per part analysis and data preparation. They also helped to identify the most suitable machine and workflows, which covered powder selection, colouring, design transfer and post-processing techniques. Training programmes were developed for staff and EOS supported with the transition and ramp-up to full polymer AM-based serial production.
As a result of this process, Atlas Copco installed an EOS P 396 machine, with support for 14 materials and 26 parameter sets. Combining the machine with the DyeMansion DM60 colouring solution, the EOS P 396 system is supporting production and new product designs, with the dyeing step allowing Atlas Copco to highlight where certain safety equipment should be used by operators on automotive production lines.
By bringing the technology in-house, Atlas Copco needs fewer third-party components, has reduced supply chain lead times and transport delays, and cut lead times of up to 12 weeks down to 3-4 days. By cutting out transport steps, it has reduced its impact on the environment, and the company also now has more precise control over production schedules, meaning it can support customer with unplanned orders that have quick turnaround requirements. In addition to this, Atlas Copco has reduced supply chain and person-hours, while eliminating retooling delays. This has resulted in a 30% reduction in production costs. Waste is said to have been cut to zero from around 7%.
“We wanted tighter control over our manufacturing that would lead to shorter lead times, lower costs, and the ability to rapidly prototype new products,” said Jason Edwards, Technical Manager at Atlas Copco. “Working with EOS and Additive Minds has given us a turnkey solution, and helped us adapt our processes such that we are now in serial production with several components, are rapidly prototyping hundreds more, and achieved ROI in just 18 months.”
Atlas Copco is now using an iterative prototyping process to transition its product inventory, whilst also developing new products with a new-found design freedom. The team have weekly meetings to discuss design changes that can then move immediately to printed prototypes for testing, while AM technology is also helping the team simplify products. One example is a spool carrier, which was previously a casting that had to be machined and assembled. The new design is now a single printed component, considerably lighter, and costs less to manufacture.
Nathan Rawlings, Sales Manager at EOS UK, offered: “This project shows how important the trust and collaboration is between all parties if a company is to embark on such a dramatic change to its core manufacturing business. No company should feel that it cannot transition to AM, and EOS helps organisations to make sure it is a success through strong communication, cooperation and a unified team spirit.”
“AM has been transformative for us,” Edwards added. “We’re winning new contracts across the globe because we can supply directly, at lower cost and with short lead times. In EOS, we have a partner that has supported us throughout our transition, offers us rapid support, and continues to advise us on designing components to achieve the best result with our 3D printer.”