Design News: Siemens Creates Global 3D Print Marketplace
A recent article in Design News magazine titled, “Siemens Creates Global 3D Print Marketplace,” featured comments by Zvi Feuer, senior VP, manufacturing engineering software at Siemens PLM, in which he shared new information about our plans to develop an online collaborative platform to bring together on-demand product designers and 3D printing production vendors in a global marketplace. Here are excepts from the article describing the three aspects of the marketplace.
Siemens envisions three aspects of the marketplace: additive manufacturing design, part production, and consulting. “There are three legs to the additive manufacturing platform. One leg is additive manufacturing end-to-end, so we can take a design and bring it to the world of additive manufacturing by reimagining or reshaping the design so it can be put together in a more manageable way. That’s the software.”
Feuer emphasized that the marketplace will connect industrial buyers with industrial providers. “The second leg is the platform that shares the knowledge we have at Siemens with those who need printed parts and those who make printed parts – real parts, not toys,” said Feuer. “Parts that can be mounted in real products. One of the parts might constrain the landing gear of an aircraft, or it could be spare parts.
As well as connecting buyers and producers, the market will be a place where companies can get consulting support for design, materials, or production solutions. “The third leg is consulting. We want to help companies to onboard digital printing into their operations,” said Feuer.
Feuer noted that these connections are already occurring, though informally. Siemens intends to formalize the process. “We are having discussions with companies who are talking about how to find the best machine for this type of a part. They want to find out whether their part is printable,” said Feuer. “On the other side, we have people who are only using their machines 10% of the time. They have experience with printing and they would like to do more business.”
Aaron Frankel, senior marketing director, manufacturing engineering software at Siemens PLM, was quoted as saying:
The details of the platform are still in the planning stages. Much of the function of the marketplace will be to solve problems as they’re identified. “This is something we are still figuring out.We are talking with the potential participants and looking at where the friction is, and we’re going to adjust our plans and build prototypes to figure out the appropriate business model that will work for everyone.”
The germ of the idea for a global marketplace came from comments Siemens kept hearing about the scarcity of providers for those who need 3D printed parts, and the lack of sufficient customers for producers. “On the part-buying side, there’s a feeling there are too few suppliers,” said Frankel. “Then we’re hearing from manufacturing service providers they’re looking for new business opportunities, looking for designs of parts that lend themselves to additive manufacturing.”
Read “Siemens Creates Global 3D Print Marketplace,” and let us know what you think in the comments section below.
The digital platform is expected to launch in mid-2018. Interested participants are invited to contact Siemens PLM about early access.
Siemens Part Manufacturing Platform
