Additive manufacturing's emerging role in logistics and distribution
3D printing evolves in many industries beyond prototyping, pandemic lifeline
By Raghu Gurumurthy
When the COVID-19 pandemic fractured
global supply chains, hospitals and
manufacturers turned to 3D printers
as agile micro-factories. Face-shield
brackets, nasal swabs and ventilator
parts were produced on-site within hours, bypassing
clogged shipping routes and unavailable suppliers.
Stratasys, for example, mobilized its global printing
network and coalition partners to produce more than
100,000 face shields in the spring of 2020, demonstrating
how distributed additive manufacturing could maintain
the flow of critical goods when traditional supply lines
faltered.
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