Manufacture thousands of parts in the time it takes to quote for a mould or tooling.
If your business relies on the manufacture of parts, tooling or moulds, you know the bottlenecks that lead to delays, high costs and lack of flexibility. Every design change, every new production run and every subcontract can lengthen lead times and increase costs. indirect manufacturing costs.
But what if there were a way of reduce manufacturing time and costs without compromising quality? This is where the 3D printing and the rapid prototyping become strategic allies for any company. With these technologies, you can manufacture in days what would traditionally take weeks, save direct and indirect costs and gain flexibility that seemed impossible before.
In this article, we explain how to reduce manufacturing costs, how to implement manufacture on demand and we show 3D printing use cases to see how other companies optimise their processes and gain competitiveness.
Bottlenecks in traditional manufacturing
Many companies still rely on conventional processes that slow down their production and generate hidden costs. Some of the most common problems include:
- Long production times: Moulds and tooling take weeks to manufacture, and any modifications further delay delivery.
- High costs: From materials to labour and external subcontracting, direct costs soar.
- Lack of flexibility: Producing few units is uneconomical, and any design changes incur additional costs.
- Indirect manufacturing costs: downtime, storage of parts, additional logistics and non-productive staff.
Example of indirect manufacturing costs
Imagine a company that produces customised automotive tooling. For a traditional mould, 3 weeks of manufacturing, intermediate storage and transport from the supplier are required. During this time, plant personnel wait to assemble the part, generating hours of unproductive work and indirect manufacturing costs.
And all this translates into lost money and delays that affect overall productivity.
How 3D printing speeds up times and cuts costs
3D printing is not only cutting-edge technology, but a practical tool that transforms the way companies manufacture. Thanks to it, it is possible to optimise processes, reduce production times and minimise costs without compromising the quality of the final product.
In addition, by combining 3D printing with rapid prototyping y manufacture on demand, The flexibility that traditional methods cannot offer is achieved.
1. Radical time reduction
One of the big problems with traditional manufacturing is time: developing a prototype or tooling can take weeks, and any changes to the design create additional delays. With 3D printing, these timescales are drastically reduced. Thanks to rapid prototyping, functional models can be created in days, allowing companies to validate ideas and adjustments before moving to mass production.
In addition, moulds and tooling that previously took weeks to produce can be ready in record time, speeding up the entire industrial process. Best of all, any design changes can be implemented immediately, without stopping production or generating additional costs for re-scheduling subcontracting or modifying moulds.
- Functional prototypes ready in days thanks to rapid prototyping.
- Tooling and moulds prepared in record time.
- Immediate design changes without delaying production.
2. Cost reduction
Production costs are not limited to material alone: moulds, tooling, storage, transport and external subcontracting generate significant expenses. 3D printing allows many of these costs to be eliminated from the outset. By producing on demand, companies only generate the parts they need, reducing stock and storage space.
In addition, dependence on external suppliers decreases, and the optimisation of materials and processes ensures that every investment translates into real value, avoiding waste and cost overruns.
- Elimination of expensive moulds and tools.
- On-demand production → less stock and less warehousing.
- Reduced reliance on external subcontracting.
- Optimisation of materials and processes.
3. Flexibility and customisation
Today's manufacturing demands not only speed and efficiency, but also the ability to adapt to specific customer demands. 3D printing makes it possible to produce cost-effective short series thanks to the manufacture on demand, This avoids large investments in mass production. In addition, each part can be customised to the specific needs of the end customer, something that would be costly and time-consuming with traditional methods. In addition, adjustments and modifications can be made immediately, without generating additional costs or delays, offering a much more agile and versatile manufacturing experience.
- Possibility of cost-effective short series production thanks to on-demand production.
- Customised parts according to the needs of the end customer.
- Immediate adjustments without additional costs.
Comparison: traditional manufacturing vs 3D printing
| Aspect | Traditional | 3D printing |
| Manufacturing time | Weeks | Days / hours |
| Start-up costs | High (moulds) | Bass |
| Design changes | Slow, costly | Fast, flexible |
| Short series | Unprofitable | Economic |
| Personalisation | Limited | Total |
Here are some of our real cases by sector
3D printing is already transforming production in multiple industries. Some 3D printing use cases include:
Automotive
Production of custom tooling and parts for assembly lines. A company in the industry needed tooling that would normally take 3 weeks. With 3D printing and rapid prototyping, Additium delivered within days, reducing start-up times by 70 %.
Aeronautics
Optimised lightweight components and functional prototypes. Thanks to 3D printing, designs can be iterated and parts tested without waiting for lengthy machining processes, speeding up the validation of new components and reducing development costs.
Architecture and engineering
Detailed mock-ups and structural models. Accurate prototypes can be created before going into production, speeding up project validation and enabling more precise design adjustments without wasting time and resources.
Medicine
A real-life example from Additium 3D demonstrates the potential of this technology in healthcare: design and manufacture of elastic and adaptable support for catheters. The end result is a piece with a perfect finish, flexible and adaptable to the human anatomy, with certification for skin contact.
In addition, production is extremely efficient: it is possible to create 20 complete kits in only 2 prints. This case shows how 3D printing enables the production of customised, tailor-made parts, safely, quickly and cost-effectively.
Consumer goods
Product prototypes, customised packaging and short runs of final parts. Companies can launch test products or limited editions without high initial investment, facilitating experimentation and rapid innovation in the market.
Additium 3D: a comprehensive service for businesses
What sets Additium 3D apart is that it not only prints parts, but it also offers complete 3D printing consultancy:
- Initial consultancy → needs and feasibility analysis.
- Design and optimisation of parts for printing.
- 3D scanning of existing parts.
- Printing with the most appropriate technology.
- Professional finishing and post-processing.
- Delivery and follow-up.
With this approach, your company no need to invest in machinery or training, and can take advantage of 3D printing to reduce time and costs from the very first project.
Reducing manufacturing time and costs is not an idea of the future: it is a real opportunity.
With 3D printing, rapid prototyping y manufacture on demand, You can manufacture faster, save money and gain flexibility, without the need to invest in additional machinery or personnel.
If you want your company to speed up production and optimise costs, Additium 3D takes care of the whole process, from consultancy to final delivery, with the possibility of to collaborate on a recurring basis to optimise further processes.
Tell us what you need to manufacture and find out how to reduce your production lead times from the very first project.
Frequently asked questions on reducing manufacturing time and costs
You can reduce production costs by implementing 3D printing, rapid prototyping, manufacture on demand and eliminating the indirect manufacturing costs such as storage, downtime or transport.
The solution is not just about making materials cheaper. It involves optimise processes, reduce intermediate steps and take advantage of technologies such as 3D printing to reduce direct and indirect costs.
It is the set of measures to optimise resources, improve processes and increase margins without sacrificing quality. 3D printing and rapid prototyping allow these measures to be implemented in a tangible way.
Reducing product costs means designing optimised parts, producing on demand, eliminating moulds and speeding up production. 3D printing makes this possible in a flexible and scalable way.
