Enterprise application software company SAP has collaborated with logistics company UPS to create a seamless on-demand manufacturing process for 3D printed parts – from order through manufacturing to delivery.
May 19, 2016: UPS and SAP want to enable companies to access on-demand manufacturing with the click of a button. Therefore they will integrate SAP’s supply chain solutions with additive manufacturing and logistics provided by UPS.
Both companies believe that this will lead to a significantly higher number of industrial 3D printed parts being approved and certified due to an accelerated and standardised process. In order to determine whether is is financially more viable to use 3D printing compared to traditional manufacturing methods, automatic real-time decision tool will be integrated into the system, with batch-specific parameters such as tax, shipping costs, materials and others.
Once completed, the order gets seamlessly routed to UPS for production and delivery. Companies will be able to track their orders right from the SAP software system. In the US, UPS manufacturing can get most orders received by 6 pm manufactured and delivered by the next morning.
Bernd Leukert, member of the Executive Board, Products & Innovations, SAP SE, said: “Technology innovations such as 3D printing are revolutionizing traditional manufacturing and redefine our notion of the industrial supply chain. By bringing together the on-demand manufacturing and logistics expertise of UPS and the extended supply chain leadership of SAP, we can enable direct digital manufacturing and an on-demand industrial manufacturing network that connects from manufacturing floor to the customer door.”
“Markets are changing rapidly, and no company can solve all customer problems on their own,” stated Stan Deans, president, UPS Global Distribution & Logistics. “This agreement with SAP adds an important UPS capability to help customers right-size inventories and lower short-run production costs, and help entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life faster than ever.”
September 21, 2016: Update – SAP launches next phase and opens early adopters program
Following the cooperation of SAP and UPS for an end-to-end solution for industrial 3D printing in May this year, the next phase of the initiative has just been launched.
SAP and UPS launched a website to expand the early phase of the program to a select number of co-innovation customers and partners worldwide that collaborate with SAP to test, validate and improve the model, among them Airbus APWorks, Fast Radius, HP Inc., Krones, Linear AMS, Moog INc., Sealed Air Corporation and Stratasys.
“The successful transition of 3D printing from prototyping to manufacturing requires integration with business IT systems. HP understands the importance of end-to-end integration to maximize efficiency and technology adoption and is joining the SAP co-innovation program to help bring this to life,” said Scott Schiller, vice president, 3D market development, HP. “Powered by HP Multi Jet Fusion technology, HP delivers a manufacturing-ready solution for end-part production as well as an open software platform to connect to business IT systems. With leadership from SAP and collaboration with other innovators in the industry, 3D printing will more quickly move into mainstream manufacturing and streamline supply chains.”
Registration for the early adopters program is now open globally through January 2017.
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