Assembrix's digital platform virtualizes industrial 3D printing – enabling a simpler, secured and more efficient production process. It oversees the entire additive manufacturing thread from the initial part model to the verified physical part, and beyond.
The demonstration by the partnership companies is a major step towards enabling a secure and transparent 21st century distributed additive manufacturing (AM) supply chain model that could be used by companies across the world. The solution incorporates technology from Boeing, Assembrix's Virtual Manufacturing System (VMS) platform, and a blockchain, seamlessly integrated with EOS industrial 3D printing technologies.
The demonstration proves the viability of a fully digitalized, globally distributed additive manufacturing model with several features:
- Secured production – Jobs can be securely assigned to individual machines within a manufacturer, with IP fully protected and an auditable transaction trail. This enables customers to ensure excess parts are not produced and protect their design instructions
- Real-time monitoring – Customers can monitor job progress in real-time
- Data collection and monitoring – Data from the machine can be monitored to ensure it is within the parameters defined by the customer for the job. This may include machine bay humidity, temperature, print speed or cooling, for example. All factors that can impact the performance and final quality of a part.
Dan Johns, CEO 3T Additive Manufacturing and CTO BEAMIT Group, says "Being able to securely connect the customer directly to the AM machine, anywhere in the world, has been a long-standing vision within the community. The end-to-end digital integration of a supply chain transforms the business model of traditional manufacturing to a scalable and flexible network of virtual warehouses for on-demand supply, with security and quality embedded into the system. The ability to digitize the complete value chain with our strategic partner Sandvik, means that BEAMIT Group is now able to offer the next generation of advanced manufacturing services."
Nel Zierhut, 3T Additive Manufacturing says "This collaboration has produced an exciting demonstration that will significantly contribute to an increasing level of confidence for companies that want to make worldwide digital manufacturing and serial production a reality, protecting IP and ensuring the highest component quality."
Software in action
Building a secure digital manufacturing environment for additive manufacturing, relies not only on the security enabled by the blockchain, but especially on a tight integration 'on-machine' between Assembrix and EOS software. Assembrix was one of the first members of the EOS Developer Network (EDN), and together with BEAMIT and 3T Additive Manufacturing, has leveraged the capabilities of the EOS software platform through the EOSPRINT and EOSCONNECT APIs to create this end-to-end solution for controlled distributed manufacturing.
Lior Polak, CEO of Assembrix, says, "We are providing our clients with a virtual additive manufacturing factory, where 3D printers using a variety of technologies and in different geographic locations are remotely and securely controlled. This concept is breaking the boundaries of traditional manufacturing and makes distributed additive manufacturing a reality. We are delighted to partner with industry-leading players in aerospace, automotive and medical to showcase our additive manufacturing secured network and see clients around the world embracing and leveraging our technology. Today, more than ever we see an increasing need for such a solution."
Markus Glasser, Senior Vice President EMEA at EOS concludes, "Industrial 3D printing allows for demand-driven production, streamlines processes, and makes the supply chain more robust and sustainable. Combining the technology with digital manufacturing structures results in maximum transparency thanks to real-time reporting, flexibility and performance. There are many benefits to this approach, including increased transparency of supply chains, adapting products to individual or regional tastes and even a reduced product carbon footprint."
About BEAMIT Group
BEAMIT Group is one of the most advanced additive manufacturing service providers in the world and serves the most demanding industries through its strategic positioning as a one-stop shop: the first company to become a truly global additive manufacturing (AM) hub offering a fully integrated value chain. Based in Fornovo di Taro (Parma, Italy), BEAMIT has been operating in the field of metal AM for 24 years. With close to 60 dedicated AM systems distributed across 7 facilities in Italy and the UK, the Group now counts over 140 employees.
BEAMIT Group specializes in high-end metal AM components for demanding industries like aerospace, automotive, energy, racing and industrial engineering, and holds many relevant quality certifications, including AS/EN 9100:2018 for aerospace, IATF Automotive, NADCAP accreditation for heat treatment processes and laboratories, and NADCAP accreditation for welding – additive manufacturing commodity.
In 2019, Sandvik Group, global leader in hi-tech engineering and metal powder with the widest range of alloys for additive manufacturing on the market - as well as leading expertise across the AM value chain - acquired a significant stake in BEAMIT.
In 2020, BEAMIT acquired a significant stake in PRES-X, an innovative start-up in the field of special post-production processes for 3D printing. BEAMIT then acquired 100% of Italian AM service bureau ZARE.
In 2021, BEAMIT Group acquired 3T Additive Manufacturing (Newbury, UK). 3T Additive Manufacturing holds some of the highest quality certifications for deliveries to aerospace and medical and is an approved supplier for serial production by many leading OEMs across the UK, Europe, US and Japan.
BEAMIT Group has a turnover of €22 Mio.
About 3T Additive Manufacturing
3T Additive Manufacturing has been a UK-based market leader in Additive Manufacturing for more than 20 years. The company accelerates the production of additive manufacturing across multiple industrial applications, using the most advanced AM systems and a wide range of materials. 3T Additive Manufacturing's offering includes design for additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping, development, and serial production of components. Its rigorous New Product Implementation process ensures that application and part development is conducted through a stage gate process to ensure repeatability, reproducibility, and the highest quality standards. The company has some of the highest accreditations in the AM industry, including ISO9001, ISO13485 and AS9100 certifications, allowing them to supply components to many of the world's largest OEM's, utilizing EOS metal additive technology, including the M400-4 large frame machine.
In 2021, BEAMIT Group acquired 100% of 3T Additive Manufacturing.
About Assembrix
Assembrix developed a cloud-based platform that virtualizes 3D industrial printing. Its Virtual Manufacturing Space platform ("VMS") enables a simpler, more efficient and secured production process by overseeing the entire additive manufacturing thread, from initial part model to the verified physical part and beyond. VMS enables multiple in-house users or external clients to monitor, allocate and manage, in a fully automated and self-controlled process, its entire manufacturing space, whether made up of single or aggregated and distributed 3D printers, thereby optimizing the utilization of all 3D printing resources and improving the ROI. Assembrix partners with printer manufacturers by connecting their machines to its VMS platform and providing to its customers' full management and control over their operation within a networked and dynamic supply-chain
About EOS
