From the course: Digital Transformation in Supply Chains

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Additive manufacturing for supply chains

Additive manufacturing for supply chains

From the course: Digital Transformation in Supply Chains

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Additive manufacturing for supply chains

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- Michelangelo said, "Every block of stone has a statue inside of it, and it's the task of the sculptor to discover it." In other words, sculpture is about removing or subtracting the extra material from the stone and leaving in place the bits that we want to keep. A lot of today's manufacturing uses that subtractive approach. We make a part by drilling holes, cutting out shapes and grinding away material. These techniques create a lot of waste in the form of sawdust, filings and scrap. But additive manufacturing, or 3D printing is a radically different approach. With 3D printing, you make a part by adding material exactly where you want it, which means there's no waste or scrap. There are several different types of 3D printing, and which technology we choose depends on a number of factors, including the cost, the size and the shape of the object we want to make, and the materials we need to make it from. But here…

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