STANDARD & LEGISLATION - UCIF Informs
3D Printing: Opportunity or Threat (Also for the Finishing Industry) Marcello Zinno UCIF – Italian Surface Treatment Equipment Manufacturers’ Association, Milan, Italy
F
info@ucif.net
or several years now, we have been talking about 3D printers
requirements are already taken into account at the design stage, in
and processes aimed at creating objects that are not mass
order to help reduce potential post-processing issues and eliminate
produced, but the result of a printing process and that,
the need for costly in-process design changes. In particular, final
therefore, are often one-offs or part of a small series. At the same time,
finishing is important because the printed parts need to be treated to
these techniques are seen by the industry as a threat to traditional
fit perfectly into the machinery that will house them.
manufacturing, focussing on the disadvantages of this new method
Of course, this is easier if those involved in the additive manufacturing
compared with conventional processes. However, there are actually
phases also have experience with surface treatments. In this way, the
not only threats behind this new production concept.
advantages of 3D printing (reduced weight, easy integration of specific
More and more often, complex systems are characterised by the
functions, rapid production of even the most complex individual
presence and operation of series of small elements that, with the
components without the need for expensive tools, lower scrap rate,
constraints of large-scale production, reach high costs that translate
and reduced time to market) can be combined with the advantages of
into very high prices for their spare parts.
finishing (faster process, increased productivity, possibility of treating
Additive Manufacturing (AM), better known as 3D printing, solves this
even the most fragile parts without the risk of damaging them, and
problem at its root by enabling unique products to be made with
adoption of specific software that guarantees precise and repeatable
a material specifically chosen for the relevant application, flexible
results). The vast and innovative Italian finishing sector already includes
production processes, and limited costs.
several technologies intended for both the creation of 3D products
Achieving these goals is not easy. It requires specific know-how in
and their surface treatment – a sign that the Italian finishing industry
terms not only of design, engineering, and printing, but also of post-
represented by UCIF is a flagship at the international level of which we
processing and surface finishing. Indeed, the printing and finishing
can be proud.
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