SINGAPORE – New requirements have been rolled out to drive extra corporations, particularly start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to make use of 3D printing to make merchandise on demand and save prices.
The 2 new requirements search to make sure that 3D printed items are made with constant high quality and are protected to make use of.
They have been introduced on Wednesday (Nov 24) by the Singapore Requirements Council and Enterprise Singapore (ESG) on the third day of the Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific (Itap) 2021 occasion at Singapore Expo. The council is overseen by ESG.
The requirements have been developed by the council, Ministry of Defence and the Nationwide Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (Namic). Different trade stakeholders have been additionally concerned, together with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore College of Know-how and Design (SUTD), Singapore Manufacturing Federation – Requirements Growth Organisation, and assurance and danger administration agency DNV.
Additionally referred to as additive manufacturing, 3D printing entails including layers of supplies on prime of each other, reminiscent of metals and polymers like plastic, to create a product or element.
Mr Marc Lee, Namic’s head of mental property and commercialisation, mentioned the businesses that use 3D printing have historically been multinational companies as a result of they’ve the assets to develop their very own inside requirements, which aren’t shared.
“However now with the brand new requirements, (different) enterprises and even start-ups will have the ability to use them for their very own operations,” added Mr Lee, noting that the requirements may additionally assist corporations discover ways to use 3D printing sooner.
The 3D printing permits for extra versatile and revolutionary designs. For example, SUTD’s 20kg AirTable – a desk with three legs – which might assist a weight of as much as 200kg, has advanced nodes which can be troublesome to make with conventional processes, so 3D printing is used.
Whereas value financial savings from 3D printing range throughout merchandise and eventualities, DNV gave an instance of an organization needing just some models of a spare half however the minimal order was about 100.
With 3D printing, the corporate may make simply two to a few of the components required and will, in some eventualities, save on 70 per cent of the prices incurred.
Nonetheless, shopping for historically manufactured components in bulk may value 10 per cent lower than shopping for the identical variety of 3D printed variations. However when buying in small numbers, the prices for each are about the identical in some instances, mentioned DNV.
On how the brand new 3D printing requirements have been developed, SAF defined that it has been utilizing the method to create prototypes for army use, reminiscent of drones and even insoles for flat-footed troopers.
However SAF realised there was a scarcity of 3D printing requirements that met army necessities. It developed its personal requirements, which turned out to have industrial functions.
The primary new commonplace launched on Wednesday, Singapore Commonplace 666, gives tips on tips on how to produce 3D printed metallic components.
It units out trade finest practices in areas reminiscent of the upkeep of 3D printers, coaching for operators and uncooked supplies used.
The usual gives a information on the kind of exams wanted for 3D printed components, primarily based on how important the half is, as nicely.
The second commonplace rolled out, Technical Reference 92, covers design tips for advanced 3D printed parts.
These embrace serving to corporations issue security and reliability in designs, and take into account varied necessities within the design course of earlier than the components are made.
On Wednesday, the Authorities additionally launched for producers a cyber safety self-evaluation guidelines and tips for his or her digitalisation efforts.
Work on the guidelines and tips was led by the Cyber Safety Company of Singapore and the Company for Science, Know-how and Analysis’s Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Know-how.
They set out cyber safety requirements and necessities to assist manufacturing corporations work out their gaps and readiness as they go digital.
The guidelines and tips, in addition to the brand new 3D printing requirements, may be purchased from the Singapore Requirements eShop.
