In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, the need for accurate, dynamic, and up-to-date product documentation is more crucial than ever. As companies aim to enhance user experience, improve service operations, and support global teams, PTC Creo Illustrate has emerged as a go-to solution. But what is Creo Illustrate, and why are so many organizations adopting it? This guide answers those questions and explores how your company can benefit from implementing this tool.

What is PTC Creo Illustrate?

PTC Creo Illustrate is a powerful 3D technical illustration software that enables users to create precise, interactive visual content. While it shares a name with PTC Creo, it can be a stand alone tool. It transforms complex CAD data into clear illustrations, animations, and sequences for use in service manuals, training guides, assembly instructions, and augmented reality (AR) experiences.

Used across industries like manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, and healthcare, Creo Illustrate helps communicate complex product information more effectively, reducing misunderstandings and improving end-user performance. With support for the latest CAD formats and seamless integration with PLM systems like Windchill, Creo Illustrate is designed for modern digital content creation.

Key Features of Creo Illustrate

Creo Illustrate offers a rich set of features designed to meet the needs of technical publishers, service teams, and manufacturing organizations. Each tool is geared toward enhancing clarity, usability, and efficiency in visual communication. Here are some of its standout features:

3D Illustration & Animation

This tool empowers technical writers and engineers to generate 3D illustrations that communicate steps clearly. Whether it’s a part replacement guide or a product overview, you can easily add callouts, annotations, and exploded views.

Intelligent BOM Management

The software supports intelligent Bill of Materials (BOM) associations, which means your illustrations automatically reflect the current parts list—ensuring consistent documentation and eliminating the need for manual updates.

CAD Integration

Creo Illustrate works seamlessly with PTC Creo and other major CAD platforms. This ensures that your technical content remains up to date as engineering designs evolve.

Augmented Reality Support

Publish illustrations to Vuforia Studio and create rich AR experiences. Field technicians, assembly line workers, or customers can then visualize instructions in real-world context using AR devices.

Multi-format Publishing

Publish your illustrations to a wide range of output formats including SVG, PDF, HTML5, and interactive 3D viewers. This flexibility supports your internal and external communication needs.

What Are the Benefits of Creo Illustrate?

When evaluating technical documentation solutions, it’s essential to understand the benefits. Here’s why organizations choose Creo Illustrate:

Improved Clarity and Accuracy

Replacing static text and 2D diagrams with 3D visuals reduces ambiguity. Users can rotate models, zoom in, and clearly understand assembly or disassembly procedures.

Faster Training and Onboarding

New employees or service technicians can learn processes faster thanks to visual learning aids and animations. This results in shorter training cycles and better knowledge retention.

Reduced Service Errors

Accurate illustrations help minimize costly service mistakes. This is especially important in regulated or high-risk industries where compliance and safety are paramount.

Enhanced Global Communication

Visual content transcends language barriers. Creo Illustrate makes it easier to communicate instructions clearly to teams across different regions and language groups.

Scalable for Teams of All Sizes

Whether you’re a small manufacturer or a multinational enterprise, Creo Illustrate can scale to your needs, with licensing and functionality that fit various team sizes and goals.

Who Uses Creo Illustrate?

Creo Illustrate is trusted by a wide range of professionals and industries that require precise, visual technical content. Its users span multiple departments, including service, manufacturing, engineering, and technical publications. Key user groups include:

As a highly valued tool, Creo Illustrate can be found in use at companies across industries. Those that use it most commonly include aerospace, automotive, industrial machinery, electronics, medical devices, and defense. Any organization producing complex products with detailed service or assembly requirements can benefit from its capabilities. If you need to communicate complex product information clearly and efficiently—this is the tool for you.

Understanding PTC Creo Illustrate

When manufacturing, service, or engineering teams begin exploring ways to modernize their technical documentation, a common question arises: how can we better connect CAD design data to downstream content like manuals and service instructions? Decision-makers evaluating PTC Creo Illustrate often want to know how it differs from traditional illustration tools, what makes it scalable, and which teams benefit most. The following FAQ addresses those questions, offering a clear view of Creo Illustrate’s capabilities, integrations, and advantages for modern technical publications.

1. How does Creo Illustrate differ from other illustration or CAD tools?

Creo Illustrate stands apart because it’s purpose-built for technical communication, not just 3D modeling or artistic rendering. While standard CAD tools focus on design creation, Illustrate transforms CAD data into understandable visual content like exploded views, animations, and interactive service guides. It automatically maintains associative links with CAD models, meaning updates in design data can propagate to illustrations without rework. This combination of accuracy, automation, and usability makes it unique among visualization tools.

2. Why should manufacturing, service, or technical-publications teams consider Creo Illustrate?

Teams that need to communicate complex product information benefit from Creo Illustrate’s ability to simplify designs into step-by-step visuals. Manufacturing and service teams can use it to build accurate assembly and maintenance instructions directly from engineering data. Technical publication teams gain time by eliminating manual re-illustration work whenever CAD designs change. Overall, it bridges the gap between design and documentation, reducing errors and speeding up publication cycles.

3. How does Creo Illustrate work alongside Creo Parametric or other CAD systems?

Creo Illustrate is tightly integrated with Creo Parametric, but it also supports data from other CAD formats via neutral file types like STEP and IGES. When used with Creo Parametric, the connection is associative. This means any design change automatically updates corresponding illustrations. This ensures consistency between engineering and downstream content. As a result, organizations can maintain a single source of truth for both product data and documentation.

4. Which industries benefit most from using Creo Illustrate (e.g., aerospace, automotive, defense)?

Industries that manage complex products or global service operations (like aerospace, automotive, defense, heavy machinery, and medical devices) gain the most from Creo Illustrate. These sectors rely on precise and easily updated service instructions to minimize downtime and reduce maintenance errors. By visualizing assembly processes, component relationships, and procedures, Illustrate helps technicians and engineers communicate effectively across departments and languages. Even regulated industries benefit from its ability to ensure compliance-ready documentation.

5. Can smaller engineering or manufacturing teams take advantage of Creo Illustrate, or is it only for large enterprises?

While large enterprises use Creo Illustrate to manage complex product portfolios, smaller teams can just as easily benefit from its streamlined workflows. The tool scales well for any organization creating 2D/3D technical illustrations or interactive service guides. Its intuitive interface and integration with standard CAD tools make it accessible without requiring a large technical publications team. Smaller manufacturers, in particular, can improve the professionalism and accuracy of their service documentation without significant overhead.

6. What are the key features of Creo Illustrate (e.g., 3D/2D illustration, animations, SBOM restructuring)?

Creo Illustrate offers a rich feature set, including 3D and 2D illustration creation, animation of assembly and disassembly sequences, and Service BOM (sBOM) restructuring. It lets users automatically generate exploded views, label callouts, and annotations for interactive repair or maintenance content. Built-in tools allow you to align your visualizations with engineering data or PLM-managed product structures. Together, these features make Creo Illustrate a comprehensive solution for technical communication and digital product documentation.

7. How does Creo Illustrate import CAD data and maintain an associative link to enable automatic updates when designs change?

Creo Illustrate imports CAD models directly from PTC Creo, Windchill, or other supported CAD formats while preserving their metadata and hierarchy. Once linked, if the engineering team updates a part or assembly, Illustrate can refresh the illustration automatically. This associative connection ensures that service manuals, animations, and graphics always reflect the latest approved design. It eliminates the manual rework common in non-integrated illustration workflows.

8. What kinds of output formats does Creo Illustrate support (2D vector, 3D, AR/VR)?

Creo Illustrate supports a broad range of outputs, including 2D vector graphics, raster images, 3D interactive models, and augmented reality (AR) content. Users can publish illustrations to traditional file types like SVG, EPS, or PDF, or to 3D interactive formats compatible with PTC’s Vuforia platform. This flexibility enables content reuse across printed manuals, digital work instructions, and AR-based service tools. It gives teams a scalable way to modernize their technical publications without duplicating effort.

9. How does Creo Illustrate help convert engineering BOMs (eBOMs) into service BOMs (sBOMs) for technical illustration and service information?

Creo Illustrate allows users to restructure engineering BOMs to create service BOMs that reflect how products are maintained, not just how they’re built. This ensures that illustrations and instructions align with the real-world service process. Technicians can quickly identify which components need to be removed, replaced, or maintained in sequence. By connecting eBOMs and sBOMs visually, companies improve service accuracy, parts ordering, and maintenance efficiency.

10. Does Creo Illustrate integrate with PLM systems like Windchill and support publishing to connected service workflows?

Yes, Creo Illustrate integrates seamlessly with PTC Windchill, allowing users to access and manage illustration content directly within the PLM environment. This connection ensures that all published visuals correspond to the correct product versions and configurations. Users can publish illustrations to connected service workflows, digital manuals, or augmented reality experiences through the Vuforia platform. The result is a complete digital thread that connects engineering design, service information, and customer experience.

Implementing Creo Illustrate

Implementing Creo Illustrate involves thoughtful planning and alignment with your existing processes. Because it integrates tightly with your CAD and PLM ecosystems, it’s important to take a structured approach. By following a clear set of steps, companies can ensure a smooth rollout and unlock the full potential of this powerful software.

Ready to modernize your technical documentation or service delivery? Let’s walk through implementing Creo Illustrate:

The first step is assessing your needs. Identify where current service, support, or training documentation is falling short. Then determine how visual content could solve these pain points. From there you need to evaluate CAD compatibility. Go through your existing CAD software to ensure it integrates with Creo Illustrate. Most major formats are supported, especially PTC Creo and Windchill.

The next step is taking advantage of a free trial or demo. This will allow your team to explore features hands-on. It will also help determine how it fits into your organization’s workflow. If it’s a good fit, the next step is purchasing and licensing. Before purchasing, it’s a good idea to have an understanding of the packages available, the types of licenses and the number necessary.

Then its time to really begin the Creo Illustrate journey. Schedule time to roll the tool out with illustrators, engineers, documentation staff, whoever. PTC and partners offer training resources and professional support. Once set up, you can link Creo Illustrate to your PLM or CMS system. Setting up templates and workflows can streamline content creation and updates. Then it’s time to start creating! Begin with one product or service manual and expand. Explore the various formats you can publish in, including AR, to maximize accessibility and usability.

Next Steps with Creo Illustrate

PTC Creo Illustrate is more than just a drawing tool—it’s a strategic asset for any organization that values accuracy, efficiency, and innovation in technical communication. From improving service operations to supporting AR experiences, its capabilities help bridge the gap between engineering and end users.

Whether you’re a manufacturer looking to reduce downtime, a service manager trying to improve field operations, or an educator exploring 3D visualization for training, Creo Illustrate delivers unmatched value.

Interested in learning more about how Creo Illustrate? Check out this data sheet for even more on how Creo Illustrate can benefit your organization.

Do you feel like you’re constantly racing, trying to stay one step ahead of your competitors and barely keeping up with your product development timelines? The world of manufacturing never slows down, and it can sometimes feel like you’re caught in an endless, frenetic rat race. Staying ahead of the competition requires continuous innovation and the ability to bring new products to market quickly. Additive manufacturing (AM) is transforming the industry by offering unparalleled innovation through design flexibility and enabling rapid prototyping and low-volume production.

Design Freedom with Additive Manufacturing

One of the most significant advantages of additive manufacturing is the design freedom that you cannot get with traditional manufacturing methods. Traditional manufacturing methods often impose limitations due to the constraints of molds, tooling, and subtractive processes. Additive Manufacturing builds objects layer by layer, allowing for the creation of complex geometries and intricate designs that were previously impossible or too costly to produce.

Take the aerospace industry, where weight reduction is crucial for improving fuel efficiency and performance. Additive manufacturing enables the production of lightweight, high-strength components with complex internal structures, such as lattice designs, that reduce weight without compromising strength. This level of design freedom allows engineers to optimize parts for performance, leading to more efficient and innovative aerospace components. Similarly, in the automotive industry, companies like Ford are using 3D printing to produce parts with optimized shapes and reduced weight, improving fuel efficiency and vehicle dynamics. This ability to design and produce complex parts quickly accelerates the innovation cycle and brings cutting-edge automotive technologies to market faster.

Rapid Prototyping with Additive Manufacturing

Rapid prototyping is another one of the key benefits of additive manufacturing, enabling companies to quickly iterate on designs and test new ideas. Traditional prototyping methods can be time-consuming and expensive, often requiring specialized tooling and multiple production steps. AM simplifies this process by allowing designers to create prototypes directly from digital models.

In the consumer electronics industry, rapid prototyping with AM has become a game-changer. Companies can now develop and test new product designs in a fraction of the time it would take using traditional methods.

For instance, tech companies use 3D printing to create prototypes of new devices, from smartphones to wearable technology. This speed and flexibility enable them to refine their designs rapidly, bringing innovative products to market ahead of the competition. The healthcare field also benefits significantly from rapid prototyping. Medical device manufacturers use Additive Manufacturing to create prototypes of surgical instruments, implants, and other medical devices. This allows for quick validation of design concepts and functional testing, ensuring that the final product meets stringent regulatory requirements and performs as intended. By accelerating the development process, additive manufacturing helps bring life-saving medical innovations to patients more quickly.

Case Studies: Real-World Applications of Additive Manufacturing

To show the impact of additive manufacturing on product innovation, let’s explore some real-world use cases for different industries.

Aerospace: GE Aviation

GE Aviation is a pioneer in using additive manufacturing for aerospace components. The company uses AM to produce fuel nozzles for its LEAP jet engines. These nozzles, made from a nickel-based superalloy, feature intricate internal geometries that improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. Traditional manufacturing methods would require multiple parts to be welded together, but with Additive Manufacturing, the nozzle is produced as a single piece, reducing weight and increasing durability. This innovation not only enhances engine performance but also simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces costs.

Automotive: Bugatti

Bugatti, the luxury car manufacturer, has leveraged additive manufacturing to produce a high-performance brake caliper. This titanium brake caliper is the largest functional component made using 3D printing in the automotive industry. The complex geometry of the caliper, which optimizes strength and reduces weight, would be challenging to achieve with traditional manufacturing methods. By using AM, Bugatti was able to create a part that meets their exacting standards for performance and quality, showcasing the potential of 3D printing in producing critical automotive components.

Healthcare: Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson has embraced additive manufacturing to revolutionize the production of custom medical implants. Using patient-specific data from medical imaging, the company creates personalized implants tailored to the unique anatomy of each patient. This approach not only improves the fit and performance of the implants but also reduces surgery times and enhances patient outcomes. Additive manufacturing enables Johnson & Johnson to offer highly customized solutions that were previously unattainable with conventional manufacturing techniques.

Customization with Additive Manufacturing

Consumer demand for customized products is on the rise, and additive manufacturing allows this demand to be met. The ability to produce tailor-made items efficiently opens up new business opportunities and enhances customer satisfaction. In the fashion industry, Additive Manufacturing is being used to create custom-fit footwear and accessories. Companies like Adidas have introduced 3D-printed shoes that offer a perfect fit for each customer. Adidas can produce shoes that match the specific pattern of movement for athletes, providing superior comfort and performance. This level of customization attracts customers seeking unique products and sets a new standard for innovation in the fashion industry.

The dental industry is another area where customization through additive manufacturing is making a significant impact. Dentists and orthodontists use Additive Manufacturing to produce custom dental implants, crowns, and aligners. These products are created based on precise digital scans of the patient’s mouth, improving treatment outcomes. The ability to produce custom dental solutions quickly and accurately enhances patient satisfaction and streamlines the workflow for dental professionals.

Overcoming Challenges of Implementing Additive Manufacturing

While the benefits of additive manufacturing for product innovation are clear, successful implementation requires overcoming several challenges. These include material limitations, print speed, post-processing requirements, and ensuring consistent quality. Material limitations are being addressed through ongoing research and development, with new materials being introduced that offer improved properties and performance. Advances in print speed and scalability are also being made, with newer machines capable of producing larger volumes more quickly. Post-processing, such as removing supports and finishing surfaces, remains an important consideration, but automated solutions are being developed to streamline these steps. Quality control is crucial to ensure that 3d printed-produced parts meet industry standards and perform reliably. Implementing robust quality assurance processes, including non-destructive testing and in-situ monitoring, helps maintain consistency and reliability in AM production.

The Impact of Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing is reshaping the landscape of product development. By offering design freedom, enabling rapid prototyping and production, and allowing for customization, AM empowers businesses to innovate faster and more efficiently. As companies continue to explore and adopt additive manufacturing, it is essential to address the associated challenges and invest in the necessary technology, skills, and processes. By doing so, businesses can unlock the full potential of AM and drive the next wave of innovation in manufacturing.

Embracing additive manufacturing today means positioning your company at the forefront of technological advancement, ready to lead in a rapidly evolving industry. The future of manufacturing is here, and it is Additive.

In today’s competitive landscape, the drive toward sustainability has never been more crucial. Industries worldwide are actively pursuing innovative solutions to minimize their environmental impact, striving for sustainability, and ultimately achieving more efficient processes. Traditional manufacturing processes have historically caused issues connected to high fossil fuel consumption, energy usage, waste generation, and pollution, leaving industries searching for environmentally friendly production methods.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is transforming this landscape by introducing a wave of sustainability benefits that significantly lessen the environmental impact while not compromising on quality and innovation.

Here’s how additive manufacturing is increasing sustainability:

Reduced Material Waste

In numerous industries, Additive Manufacturing has made substantial strides in reducing material waste in final parts by as much as 80%. Unlike traditional subtractive processes like machining and casting, which often result in significant material waste during production, Additive Manufacturing builds components layer by layer, utilizing only the necessary material for the part. This additive approach not only minimizes waste but also optimizes material usage, resulting in more efficient production and a reduced environmental impact.

Energy Efficiency

With manufacturing industries’ energy consumption making up 76% of the total usage, Additive Manufacturing shines as a more energy-efficient alternative to traditional manufacturing methods. By streamlining processes and minimizing the need for extensive machining and assembly, Additive Manufacturing lowers overall energy consumption during production.

Additionally, the ability to produce lightweight components through Additive Manufacturing offers significant benefits in sectors such as aerospace and automotive. Lightweight parts lead to improved fuel efficiency in vehicles and aircraft, as they require less energy to propel or lift off the ground. This reduction in weight not only lowers fuel consumption during operation but also contributes to lower emissions and overall environmental impact. By leveraging Additive Manufacturing to create lightweight components, industries can achieve substantial energy savings and contribute to a more sustainable future.

On-Demand Production

Additive Manufacturing revolutionizes the traditional production model by enabling on-demand manufacturing, leading to remarkable benefits for sustainability. This innovative approach significantly reduces the requirement for large inventories and the associated storage costs. By producing items only as needed, Additive Manufacturing eliminates wasted resources and minimizes the environmental impact of excess production.

Localized Production

Additive Manufacturing enables localized production, offering a key strategy to reduce the environmental impact of extensive global supply chains. By manufacturing parts closer to the point of use, companies can significantly lower transportation emissions and support local economies. This shift towards decentralized manufacturing not only reduces the carbon footprint associated with long-distance shipping but also enhances supply chain resilience. By fostering local production, businesses can mitigate environmental and economic risks linked to global disruptions, while promoting sustainability and supporting community growth.

Extended Product Life Cycle

Additive manufacturing facilitates the repair and maintenance of existing products, extending their life cycle. For instance, it can be used to produce spare parts or to repair damaged components, reducing the need to manufacture entirely new products. This capability is particularly valuable in sectors like aerospace, where maintaining and repairing high-value equipment can significantly reduce waste and resource consumption.

Innovative Design

The design freedom offered by Additive Manufacturing allows engineers to create more efficient and sustainable products. Complex geometries that optimize material usage and improve performance can be easily achieved with Additive Manufacturing. For example, lightweight lattice structures and internal cooling channels can be integrated into designs to enhance functionality and reduce material usage. This level of design innovation can lead to products that are not only better performing but also more environmentally friendly.

Materials Selection

The evolution of sustainable materials for Additive Manufacturing is progressing at a rapid pace, with researchers and companies exploring the use of recycled and bio-based materials in 3D printing. These eco-friendly materials not only decrease reliance on finite resources but also play a pivotal role in nurturing the circular economy. Through the utilization of sustainable materials, Additive Manufacturing fosters the recycling and reuse of resources, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally conscious approach to production.

A Greener Future

Additive manufacturing can enhance companies’ sustainability initiatives by reducing material waste, enhancing energy efficiency, enabling on-demand and localized production, fostering innovative design, and more. It offers a pathway to more sustainable production in a variety of industries. As the technology continues to evolve, its potential to contribute to environmental sustainability will only grow, making it a key player in the green industrial revolution.

At EAC Additive, we are committed to helping companies implement additive manufacturing technology, enabling them to achieve environmentally friendly solutions that not only conserve money, resources, and time but also contribute to a sustainable future for all.

What is Additive Manufacturing

“Manufacturing” has been around for centuries. The basic definition, “the making of articles on a large scale using machinery” which is a good summary. There are myriad methods of manufacturing. Casting, sintering, machining, and molding are just a small sampling. With the advent of 3D printing, the term ‘Additive Manufacturing’ evolved as an umbrella to generally refer to all manufacturing methods that use 3D printing. 

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a relatively inexpensive process to implement. The equipment is straightforward, for the most part, and does not require the extensive resources of equipment that traditional (i.e. casting, sintering, machining, molding) require. The materials available to Additive Manufacturing are comprehensive and growing. These include everything from plastics to metals, with plastics being the largest substrate by far. 

In addition, additive manufacturing offers not only innovative materials but also enhanced sustainability. By minimizing the amount of scrap generated, this manufacturing process contributes to a more sustainable approach. Unlike traditional manufacturing methods that often generate significant amounts of waste material, additive manufacturing builds objects layer by layer, utilizing only the necessary materials. This low cost of entry has made it possible to rapidly iterate product development. AM is so commonplace now that it’s easy to lose sight of what a major impact this has had on getting products to market.

What is 3D Printing

April 12, 1981, was the launch of STS-1 – the first Space Shuttle. That same year, Dr. Hideo Kodama invented the first 3D printing machine using a polymerized resin that could be laser-cured layer by layer. In 1984, Chuck Hull patented that technology as the first ‘Stereolithography Apparatus’ (SLA). Chuck would go on to found 3D Systems, today one of the leading SLA manufacturers in the world. In 1988, Scott Crump developed a plastic extrusion machine he called ‘Fused Deposition Modeling’ (FDM). His company, Stratasys, began selling FDM commercially in 1992. Back then, a 3D printer cost over $300k ($800k today).

3D Printing is a Commoditized Process

3D Printing has become a commoditized process that is accessible to anyone.

It’s that commoditization that equates the term ‘3D printing’ with a low-cost, hobbyist platform. Most implementations of these low-cost 3D printers in any commercial environment have little to no impact on overall business goals. It’s not uncommon to see a 3D printer sitting on the desk of a design engineer. It provides an easy way to manifest physical outputs to be used as a supplement to the development process. 

However, when considering commercial applications that are a part of overall business strategies, these consumer-grade (sub $2000) printers lack the ability to conform to the rigorous processes companies require when developing manufactured (end-use) parts. For instance, there is much more to medical device products than the product itself. There are overarching FDA and ISO requirements, supply chain requirements, and process control requirements such as receiving and inspection that need to be applied to production equipment.

The machines need to go through a lengthy characterization process that includes manufacturing documentation, performance monitoring, and understanding service level agreements from the equipment vendor. This is not something you will be able to develop for a $200 3D printer purchased from Amazon.

While 3D printers find a great deal of utility as a tactical, point solution. There is a coming-of-age that requires more from this equipment in order to realize its true strategic potential. That’s where Additive Manufacturing comes in.

The Difference Between Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing

To get a sense of the implications for industrial-grade Additive Manufacturing solutions, consider a company like Cargill. You can be forgiven if you do not know who Cargill is. They are the single, largest privately held corporation you’ve never heard of. They provide all the basic ingredients for the food you eat. You would be hard-pressed to not consume a Cargill product.

Given their great importance to the entire world’s food supply, it’s no surprise they employ rigorous controls to automate production. These controls are very expensive. However, their function is simple. One of their representatives was asked something along the lines of, “you realize that Arduino and Raspberry Pi can do all the stuff you guys are doing at a fraction of the cost.” They agreed. Then replied, “sure, but if one of those devices fails and people die, who’s liable?”

Implementing a manufacturing solution is much less about the technology and more about mitigating risk while having a positive outcome on business goals. Bringing 3D printing into the business ecosystem as a strategic solution is the defining characteristic of Additive Manufacturing. 3D printing is a component of Additive Manufacturing.

As a solution provider, the team at EAC is more interested in the broader implications of Additive Manufacturing. We have decades of experience in the design, development, and implementation of products. This gives us a unique perspective with the ability to understand how Additive Manufacturing fits within our already extensive offering. It is a natural extension of development. 

Why Should I Implement Additive Manufacturing

A ‘paradigm shift’ is defined as “a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions.” We have seen several paradigm shifts in the last 50 years. Mobile phones weren’t much of a paradigm shift when they were introduced in the 70s. They were exclusive to the few who could afford them. The infrastructure did not exist to make them ubiquitous. While that quickly changed in the 90s, it wasn’t until phones took on many other tasks beyond being a phone with the advent of the iPhone. That device ushered in a major paradigm shift that we are currently experiencing. 

Manufacturing is currently experiencing a paradigm shift. We are still in the early stages. The early stage of a paradigm shift is characterized by creativity, confusion, and ‘solution saturation’. Additive Manufacturing is a major component of that paradigm shift. With over 2000 manufacturers of Additive Manufacturing equipment, it can be daunting to figure out what direction to take when implementing an AM solution (or whether implementing AM even makes sense). It begs the question, “why bother?”. For many manufacturers, this is uncharted territory.

Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC)

As a manufacturer, you will not want to carry the overhead of managing an entire Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machining floor or invest in a room full of injection molding equipment. The specialized nature of this equipment requires extensive resources and expertise that impacts the bottom line of your retail sales of vacuum cleaners. As a result, it has been a tradition to outsource the fabrication of components to providers who perform these specialized operations. While this is cost-effective, there are other considerations such as lead times and quality control that manufacturers have to contend with. This is especially challenging when developing new products as it is difficult to have design iterations using these traditional providers. The time and expense of creating tooling for products that may not work is not practical. 

This desire to quickly iterate through a design is what has driven the implementation of 3D printers in manufacturing environments. 3D printing was used as a bridge to a final product that was machined or injection molded. While this is a very useful process for development, there’s still a gap between the iterative prototyping phase and the final production phase. Unfortunately, that gap can be quite costly when the final product does not conform to the results of the 3D printed prototyped product.

3D printing was relegated to this stage in development for a number of reasons. From an aesthetic standpoint, 3D printing left a lot to be desired. For FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication – remember, the term ‘FDM’ is owned by Stratasys), the stair-stepping of layer lines is apparent. Resin-based printers are capable of very smooth surface finish but there are often artifacts left behind due to support structures. SLS does not have to worry about support, but the surface finish is described as ‘grainy’, and highly detailed features are difficult.

3D Printed Parts and Isotropy

In addition to that, 3D printed parts exhibit poor isotropy. Meaning they do not perform the same across all axes of the part. FFF parts in particular have less strength in the z direction than in the x and y direction. SLA, on the other hand, has 100% isotropy, yet resins have not demonstrated the same kinds of strength that traditionally manufactured parts exhibit.

Now, as this paradigm shift picks up speed, all of that is changing. Especially in regards to SLA and SLS. There are SLA resins that can create incredibly strong structures from silicone to polyurethane. For SLS, new postprocessing equipment is capable of reducing or even eliminating the graininess of powder-based prints. The implications of this are enormous. It means that design iterations can be performed using the same equipment and materials that are used for final production parts.

With the relatively low cost of entry and skill requirements, AM equipment can be reasonably implemented within the walls of final production. Lead times for production parts can now be a matter of days (or even hours) rather than months. The lack of tooling (AM is often referred to as ‘tool-less’ manufacturing), eliminates major costs. One major aspect of AM is the fact that each part can be unique. Not only does this mean each part can be personalized. It also means that changes can be implemented with no impact on production (other than appropriately documenting the change). 

How EAC Additive Can Help

EAC Additive is your go-to partner for all things Additive Manufacturing from hardware to consumables, and even services. While there are many AM providers in the industry, our company that’s been providing engineering solutions for over 27 years, EAC has the expertise in all aspects of manufacturing that companies require in order to be successful. We understand the implications that AM has on product development, quality assurance, supply chain, and production. 

To that end, EAC offers the AM Assessment, which is a comprehensive analysis of your company’s current state of utilizing Additive Manufacturing, and then gives you a roadmap and actionable steps to improve and integrate this innovative technology into your operations.