The Critical Role of 3D Printing in Food and Beverage Production

The food and beverage manufacturing industry is experiencing rapid growth, with the processing equipment market set to reach $84.9 billion by 2028. Despite this growth, challenges such as rising costs, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions continue to plague manufacturers. Markforged printers provide practical solutions to these challenges by reducing custom tooling and MRO part costs by up to 90%, supporting aging equipment, minimizing spare part inventory, and ensuring operator safety.

Keep lines up and running by reducing lead times for replacement parts

As manufacturing equipment wears down, it affects production efficiency due to maintenance and downtime. However, with 3D printing, businesses can efficiently produce replacement components like brackets, pushers, and EOAT on-demand, mitigating such impacts.

Think about the pushers on the packaging lines—they divert, sort, reject, insert, feed, and switch lanes. By 3D printing replacement pushers in-house, you can slash lead times and costs compared to outsourcing. This means no waiting for shipping or part development cycles, keeping your manufacturing line running smoothly to prevent costly downtime.

Support aging equipment

The factory floor hosts a variety of machines, spanning from brand new to decades old. However, as manufacturers discontinue support for older models and update their product lines, finding replacement parts for legacy equipment becomes increasingly difficult, particularly when the original manufacturer is no longer in operation.

By producing legacy components internally, food and beverage manufacturers can streamline operations, saving time and costs associated with external sourcing. This efficiency not only ensures continuous operation but also enhances the longevity of vital equipment.

Boost sustainability and cut supply chain costs

Disruptions in the global supply chain have caused delays, shortages, and increased costs in sourcing parts, which is negatively impacting manufacturers' ability to meet demand and revenue goals.

Consider the case of a conveyor guide, a small component that relies on compressed air to transport products along the factory line. Currently, it takes up to 12 weeks to obtain and produce this component. However, if manufacturers were to print these parts, they could be produced within a matter of hours or days. This would help to restore the factory line to its original productivity.

Additive manufacturing decentralizes sourcing, reducing environmental impacts and costs. By integrating digital 3D printing platforms into factories, manufacturers print components on-site, minimizing reliance on distant suppliers and optimizing resource allocation.

Keep operators safe

Ensuring safety on the production line is paramount for operator well-being and operational efficiency. Manufacturers risk hefty fines for safety violations, underscoring the importance of accident prevention and implementing safeguards against moving parts. Utilizing 3D printing, manufacturers can create cost-effective safeguards, ergonomic aids, and tools, thus upholding operator safety.

To address a pinch hazard identified on the packaging line, engineering, and design teams can leverage in-house 3D printers. This allows for the development of a custom safeguard with greater design flexibility compared to traditional methods. The safeguard seamlessly attaches via existing mounting points on the bundler machine, with design requirements confirmed using Simulation, the Markforged software tool.

In the food and beverage sector, 3D printing offers solutions to common hurdles. With in-house technology, manufacturers can cut costs on custom tooling and maintenance, save time, innovate designs, and extend equipment lifespan, thus easing challenges amid production line automation expansion.