BMF/Markforged
Markforged has announced the launch of its Digital Source on-demand parts platform, which enables the licensing and additive manufacturing of manufacturer-certified parts at the point of need.
Once digital part designs are uploaded, users of Digital Source – whether they be customers, distributors or contract manufacturers – can license the right to print parts onsite or through a network of approved print service providers.
Markforged says it has designed this platform to ‘offer consistent, reliable, turnkey production’ for 3D printed parts, while ‘delivering the promise’ of digital warehousing with end-to-end process control. When uploading part designs, vendors can specify and lock printing process requirements, with robust security safeguarding the files and encrypted print instructions being sent directly to printers to protect designs.
Through Digital Source, both vendors and customers are said to be able to benefit from reduced inventory costs and simpler replacement part operations, which Markforged believes will result in increased productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
“Digital Source unlocks a new way of managing supply chains,” commented Markforged CEO Shai Terem. Every day a manufacturing line is down due to broken or worn parts can cost millions of dollars in lost productivity. Availability of spare parts is critical to manufacturers’ success – but keeping an extensive physical inventory ties up capital in parts that may go untouched for years. Digital Source not only can simplify logistics but can also build resiliency into the supply chain and increase profitability as a result of these efficiencies. With Digital Source, parts can be digitised and printed at the time and point of need without the need to be manufactured in advance, shipped and stored until needed.”
BMF/Markforged
Already, sand blasting machine manufacturer BMF GmbH has become a vendor on Digital Source, while Automation Alley has committed to using Digital Source for its Project DIAMOnD initiative. BMF has installed more than 200 of its machines worldwide, each equipped with 60 printed components, which need replacing every three to four months when the machines are running at full capacity. Project DIAMOnD, meanwhile, is the world’s largest emergency response network for on-demand printing, with small and medium-sized manufacturers operating 300 Markforged printers.
“We needed a significant amount of storage capacity to be able to stock all the spare parts, and often, the extended delivery time is linked to the customer’s ordering process, as the administrative procedures frequently take too long, when BMF ships the spare parts on the same day,” offered Ronny Bernstein, CEO of BMG GmbH, “Via Digital Source, the component can be printed on-site the moment a failure or wear is detected.”
“We value Markforged because of its strong emphasis on protecting the digital recipe of parts and enforcing the standards of quality for remotely printed parts.” Added Pavan Muzumdar, Chief Operating Officer of Automation Alley and CEO of Project DIAMOnD. “We believe the future of manufacturing is distributed manufacturing. By connecting our physical world through secure digital inventories, Digital Source is very strongly aligned with our vision for the future.”
