Is COVID-19 the “Catalyst” to Incorporate 3D Printing Technology into the Manufacturing Industry?

Abstract

The contribution of the fight against COVID-19 to the incorporation of 3D printing technology into the manufacturing industry is the research question of this study. By observing the structure of initiatives of hobbyists and enterprises in the 3D printing industry that are printing health care equipment for nursing staff, we conclude that 3D printing technology could be used for mass production under a different production model. We propose two different typologies of a factory's structure, calling them “Adjust-Semi Cloud Factory 1” and “Semi-Cloud Factory 2.” To measure the effectiveness of these new types of factories, we propose a framework based on characteristics and aspects of knowledge management.

Key findings

• ▸The pandemic has led to a significant increase in demand for 3D printed medical equipment and supplies.
• ▸3D printing technology has been used to produce face masks, ventilators, and other essential medical devices.
• ▸The pandemic has highlighted the potential of 3D printing to improve supply chain resilience and reduce production lead times.

Keywords

Identifiers

DOI

10.1089/3dp.2021.0050

Journal

3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing

Year

2022