A couple of months ago, my colleague Chris Cunnane - a Research Director in Supply Chain Management at ARC Advisory Group - wrote an article about 3D printing and the supply chain, looking at how additive manufacturing can and will impact the end to end global supply chain. He looked at how companies are beginning to explore on-demand manufacturing rather than traditional manufacturing models, meaning they can keep less physical inventory on-hand. Using a digital representation of parts allows manufacturers to make small changes to digital files quickly at no additional charge, which provides more agility in the manufacturing process.

3D printing has come a long way in recent years, with manufacturing times improving. The time it takes to print items depends on both the quality of the printer as well as the complexity of the item being printed. As we enter a new era with COVID-19 continuing to disrupt supply chains and causing shortages of essential medical equipment, the 3D printing community is stepping in to help.

Click here for reference