The OMNIplus 3D printable spare part digital inventory from Wibu-Systems, Farsoon Technologies, and Daimler Buses will be on display at Formnext 2022 in Germany.
Wibu Systems has created OMNIplus – an online 3D printable parts store. This store was produced in collaboration with Daimler Buses, a Germany-based bus manufacturer, and Farsoon Technologies, a US-based global manufacturer and supplier of industrial-level polymer and metal Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) systems. The new online store lets the owners and operators of Daimler and Setra buses buy and print a vast selection of consumables, as per their requirements. With CodeMeter protecting digital objects throughout the complete sales lifecycle, the service makes good on the Industry 4.0 promise of Manufacturing-as-a-Service. Daimler Buses has already identified around 40,000 potentially 3D printable parts from their back catalog to add to the store. As a result, bus operators can now go to the new OMNIplus 3D Printing License eshop and pick the items they need from an initial selection of 100 parts. All the buyers need to get the physical product in their hands is either access to their nearest OMNIplus service partner to handle the process or simply a certified Farsoon Technologies printer to create their own mini-factory.
“The many years of excellent cooperation between Evobus and Farsoon have really helped this complex project along. In Wibu-Systems, we have found a very good partner, and all three of us are very proud to have developed this solution in record time,” said Dr. Dirk Simon, Managing Director of Farsoon Europe.
“The successful implementation of the revolutionary AM digital rights management system means that our partners and we have made a real mark in the digital 3D printing business. This opens up completely new vistas for our service operations and for the availability of products where they are needed at the point of sale, both commercially speaking and thinking about the good of our environment,” added Ralf Anderhofstadt, Head of Center of Competence Additive Manufacturing at Daimler Trucks and Buses.
OMNIplus – an online 3D printable parts shop
Replacement parts for the Mercedes-Benz and Setra brands are created by OMNIplus using digital component manufacturing technology of 3D printing. Almost 40,000 bus and coach parts can presently be printed using 3D technology. For example, parts composed of plastic, synthetic resin, ceramic, or metal can be produced utilizing high-level precision – claims Wibu-Systems. According to Wibu-Systems, the functionality, dependability, and service life of OMNIplus parts produced conventionally and through 3D printing are the same.
For printing purposes, all the important information about the components is stored in the “Digital Warehouse”. These components can be reordered easily using their part numbers. According to Wibu-Systems, this indicates that a speedy, global supply can be ensured. Customers will also be able to purchase 3D printing licenses by accessing the “commerce” section on the OMNIplus ON Portal, instead of having the concerned parts manufactured by a certified 3D printing facility of their choice. Through this, customers will be able to save time, and transportation costs can be simultaneously avoided.
Digital Inventory, Industry 4.0 and Manufacturing-as-a-Service
To organize 3D files and manufacturing data, German 3D printing software provider 3YOURMIND had previously released its Digital AM Inventory module. This addition to the 3YOURMIND workflow software focuses to streamline production and develop a more affordable option for part storage than a physical warehouse.
As a result of growing interconnectedness and intelligent automation, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, theorizes rapid change to technology, industries, and societal patterns and processes in the 21st century. The 3D printing business is being considered more and more in relation to digital manufacturing. Businesses in sophisticated industries have started integrating additive manufacturing techniques under Industry 4.0. However, a survey conducted by the management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company, based in New York, indicates that few have yet to properly embrace digital manufacturing methods.
By definition, Manufacturing-as-a-service means, the practice of using a networked manufacturing infrastructure in a shared fashion to generate items. In other words, in order to save money and produce higher-quality goods, manufacturers share their production equipment online.
For example, Fathom Digital Manufacturing (FTHM), is a provider of on-demand manufacturing services. FTHM announced a 33% increase in revenue in the first quarter of 2022. The company generated $40.5 million over the time period, which was the first full quarter as a public company on the NYSE, which is $10 million greater than the $30.5 million it recorded during Q1 2021. CEO Ryan Martin claims that the increase in revenue was brought about by the signing of multiple sizable multimillion-dollar contracts during the quarter, a “strong orders volume,” and the expansion of the company’s backlog of new business.
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