Jul 12, 2016 | By Tess
German software solutions corporation SAP SE has certainly been making a name for itself within the 3D printing industry, having recently partnered with UPS to establish a U.S. wide on-demand 3D printing network. Now, in the wake of their partnership with UPS, SAP has just announced it has signed a co-innovation agreement with APWorks, a subsidiary of Airbus Defence and Space GmbH which just months ago unveiled its stunning 3D printed Light Rider motorcycle. Both companies will work together to accelerate and promote the adoption and standardization of industrial 3D printing within the aerospace and defense sectors.
As part of the co-innovation agreement, which was announced at the ongoing Farnborough International Airshow in Hampshire, England, APWorks will capitalize on SAP’s 3D printing services network in order to develop and run a bionics network that will help to connect 3D printing experts and end users. According to a press release, SAP’s 3D printing services will “allow APWorks to manufacture 3D printed components such as armrests and brackets, improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions.” Through the partnership, the aerospace company will also be better equipped to handle spare part orders in a timely manner and to deliver industry-grade products for various safety-critical purposes.
Torsten Welte, global head of Aerospace and Defense Industry, SAP explained, “Innovation in on-demand 3D printing is now revolutionizing traditional manufacturing. In the next few years 3D printing will be widely adopted across manufacturing industries. The aerospace and defense market will transform digitally to strive to achieve near-zero unplanned downtime on commercial flights as well as support high production turnaround at a lower cost. What makes 3D printing most attractive in aerospace is the removal of many costs associated with traditional manufacturing like stocking inventory. Users are enabled to print the parts they need, as needed.”
SAP, which specializes in software and end-to-end solutions for a diverse range of companies will help to rethink supply chain solutions geared towards the adoption of industrial 3D printing. In partnership with APWorks, SAP will aim to address a number of issues, including the digitization and simplification of approval processes for production parts, the screening and validation of 3D printed parts, the redesigning of parts in order to optimize on-demand manufacturing and 3D printing technologies, and the acceleration and standardization of certification processes for 3D printed parts by 3D printing firms.
Additionally, the co-innovation agreement will focus on establishing an on-demand budgetary cost for 3D printed parts to be evaluated against traditionally manufactured parts. The latter will include cost components like taxes and warehousing costs and be determined using the SAP Product Lifecycle Costing solution. Finally, the companies will establish coverage for each stage of the production process, beginning from the 3D printer all the way to the client’s door.
Like on a consumer level, the ability to print on-demand parts could be revolutionary for the aerospace industry. As Joachim Zettler, CEO of APWorks explains, “ The ability to 3D print all the possible components of an A350 aircraft could reduce the weight of it by nearly a ton. On-demand 3D printing cloud service from SAP can help us to develop our vision for distributed, on-demand production of aerospace components and still meet the high quality standards necessary to make the aircraft fly.”
"The ability to 3D print all the possible components of an A350 aircraft could reduce the weight of it by nearly a ton," said Joachim Zettler, CEO of APWorks. "On-demand 3D printing cloud service from SAP can help us to develop our vision for distributed, on-demand production of aerospace components and still meet the high quality standards necessary to make the aircraft fly.”
Posted in 3D Printer Company
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