“In highly competitive industries such as the food market or the cosmetics industry, it is important to react quickly to market changes. This is possible with 3D printing,” says Conrad Zanzinger, Technical Director at SchubertAdditive Solutions.
At machine manufacturer Harro Höfliger, 3D-printed components are sometimes used as a temporary solution until conventionally manufactured spare parts are available. “Some of our customers now have their own 3D printers so that they can manufacture spare parts themselves as needed, thereby increasing the availability of their equipment,” explains Stefan Traub, Department Leader Design & Development at Harro Höfliger.
Less Waste, More Process Reliability
Another major advantage of 3D printing is the possibility of customisation. “In addition to producing individual parts in variable geometries, assemblies can also be redesigned,” says Melina Bluhm. This is done, for example, by combining previously multi-part components into a single printed part. Or by using a modular design in which only individual elements need to be replaced, e.g. to respond to different packaging formats.
Conrad Zanzinger confirms: “Many consumer goods are difficult to package due to their shape. Conventional grippers in packaging machines are sometimes not optimally matched to the goods and may lose products during the packaging process.” This is not the case when the tools are perfectly matched to the food or cosmetic product thanks to 3D printing. Not only does the process in the machine run more safely, but there is also less waste because the products end up securely in the packaging and do not slip out of the tool’s grip.
In the service sector, additive manufacturing offers the possibility of producing spare parts worldwide on demand. This significantly reduces downtime and increases machine availability. Melina Bluhm therefore also sees a considerable customer advantage in the on-demand principle. Components no longer need to be physically stored in a warehouse but are stored in a digital warehouse, as in the case of Replique, and can be retrieved as needed – the moment the customer receives an order from an end customer. This enables efficient, demand-driven production. “We like to say that the most expensive spare part is the one that's missing,” says Melina Bluhm. This is exactly where digital spare parts models in combination with 3D printing come into play: production takes place via a global network – ideally locally at the end customer's site – and is delivered directly to them.
3D printing has thus long since established itself as a strategic tool in packaging machine manufacturing – not only in development, but throughout the entire life cycle of a machine. From quickly available format parts and customised grippers to digital spare parts warehouses, the technology offers versatile answers to the growing demands for speed, flexibility and efficiency. In a market that constantly demands new products and formats, additive manufacturing is thus becoming a key driver of innovation.
Author: Alexander Stark
