Ever thought about how additive manufacturing can help meet the goals of lean manufacturing? In the past, we have talked extensively about how 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, has completely revolutionized traditional production methods and processes. Their cutting-edge technology enhances industries like the medical field and the automotive industry, for starters, and helps our environment by reducing waste with on-demand production and increasing energy efficiency.

There’s no denying the endless possibilities that can come with this ever-evolving field.

With these benefits, 3D printing perfectly embodies the true essence of the lean manufacturing philosophy. With lean manufacturing, additive manufacturers are able to streamline production runs, reduce waste (both physical and intangible), enhance flexibility and responsiveness to customer demands, and save both the customer and the manufacturer itself money.

How Does it Work?

Lean manufacturing is a production process that was initially developed in Japan and is a component of the Toyota Production System. This process focuses on maximizing productivity while also minimizing waste. For those who have adopted the lean manufacturing process, waste is categorized as anything that customers are not willing to pay for or see value in.

Instead of spare parts and excess materials, the type of waste lean manufacturing aims to minimize is less tangible; it includes processes, activities, or services that don’t add any value to the product but require unnecessary time, money, or skills. It can also include underused talent, excessive inventories, and wasteful procedures.

Lean manufacturing is a process that has been widely adopted in a multitude of fields, such as project management, software development, construction, or, for example, 3D printing. The objective is that, by eliminating waste in both the physical and metaphysical sense, manufacturers can better streamline their services while reducing costs and helping their customers save money.

Lean Manufacturing = DOWNTIME

In lean manufacturing, there are eight kinds of waste. It’s easy to remember them by using the acronym, DOWNTIME.

• Defects that require time, effort, and cost for corrections are caused by poor quality control, poor machine repair, or a lack of proper documentation and standards.
• Overproduction due to inaccurate forecasting and demand information, unstable production schedules, etc.
• Waiting, whether it is unplanned downtime, idle equipment, or delayed set-up times.
• Non-utilized talent can come in the form of a lack of team training and poor management, but also poor communication and a failure to involve employees in workplace design and development (after all, they know the systems and procedures best!).
• Transportation, such as unnecessary shipping or transportation due to multiple storage facilities or poorly designed production systems.
• Inventory in excess, or “safety stocks,” and subsequent use of spaces like warehouses.
• Motion not only includes raw materials but also people and equipment, which can be caused by poor workstation layouts, shared equipment, a lack of production standards, etc.
• Excessive processing due to poor communication, not understanding the customer’s needs, or even a slow approval process.

 

The Five Principles

In addition to the eight kinds of waste, there are five principles of lean manufacturing. Let’s dive into those and how 3D printing intrinsically adopts them.

Defining Value

The primary goal of this principle is to deliver maximum value to the customer through their products. By understanding exactly what the customer deems valuable, manufacturers can know their customers better, know what is important to them, and what they are willing to spend money on.

At its core, lean manufacturing emphasizes value for the customer, and the level of customization that comes with 3D printing is a key component of that. 3D printing allows manufacturers to create highly customized products without the need for mass production. They can tailor their products to meet specific customer needs, which lessens the chance of defects and anomalies, cuts down on waste—both physical and intangible—and makes way for more efficient production.

Value Stream Mapping

A value stream is a map of the product’s entire lifecycle and the process to take it from raw materials to a finalized state. By mapping out the stream, manufacturers can examine each stage of the process and eliminate waste by cutting out unnecessary steps. This kind of continuous monitoring on a step-by-step level allows for regular assessment of the value stream, providing the opportunities to make continuous improvements.

Since additive manufacturing is produced layer by layer, the production process is already fairly streamlined, aligning itself with this core principle of lean manufacturing. This simplified production process allows for a higher level of optimization and reduces the messy complexities that often come with traditional manufacturing. Less mess, less stress!

Creating Flow

To create a smooth and steady flow during the manufacturing process without interruptions, delays, or bottlenecks, it’s vital that obstacles are eliminated to ensure that the produced products can move more steadily and continually. This can be done by balancing workloads, optimizing production steps, and ensuring that there is reliable, accessible, and efficient equipment. In turn, this will reduce lead times, increase efficiency and quality, and maintain a steady flow of production.

Like we said above, 3D printing is already a streamlined and simplified process, meaning the production flow is already, well, flowing. Since products can be produced in a single operation, there isn’t a need for any intermediate steps or long lead times, which also helps to minimize bottlenecking and maximize efficiency.

Establishing Pull

Establishing pull is essentially producing on demand. In more traditional manufacturing, push systems are in place where inventory is often determined ahead of time and the products are manufactured to meet that prediction. However, like most predictions and forecasts, they are not a precise science. These often inaccurate predictions can result in too much inventory, not enough inventory, and disrupted schedules. Frankly, it can cause quite a headache.

On the contrary, with pull systems, materials are not made until there is an actual demand for them, which fully relies on flexibility and communication. This may seem like an easy process to adopt, but it requires manufacturers to be expert communicators with their suppliers, teams, and customers to ensure all parties are on the same page and share the same level of flexibility.

As we’ve discussed, 3D printing fully supports the pull production system. Instead of relying on inconsistent and inaccurate forecasts and maintaining large inventories, manufacturers can produce only what is needed, cutting down on inventory costs, mitigating the risk of overproduction, and providing manufacturers with more flexibility when trying to adapt to the ever-changing market. 

Continuous Improvement

A cornerstone of effective lean manufacturing is continuous improvement. By closely examining the nitty-gritty of the manufacturing process on a continuous basis, it becomes easier to target the root causes of quality issues, allowing for more waste elimination. To be successful, it’s crucial that this notion of continuous improvement be integrated on a cultural level of any organization or business. From team members and project supervisors all the way to the executive level, continuous improvement is an “all hands on deck” kind of initiative.

In additive manufacturing, the nature of rapid testing and refinement of products and designs already fosters a culture of continuous improvement. With a quicker production time and streamlined process, manufacturers can much more easily identify issues and performance flaws and make the necessary changes to achieve maximum efficiency and higher quality standards.

 Conclusion

Additive manufacturing already embodies the essence and philosophy of lean manufacturing. By focusing on value, utilizing value stream mapping and a smooth flow of operations, adopting a pull-based approach, and striving for continuous improvement, 3D printing manufacturers are able to continue revolutionizing the industry, making impressive and innovative improvements to their efficiency, quality, environmental footprint, and customer satisfaction.