In the era of digital transformation, companies have to evolve and adapt, and this shift is impacting almost every industry. This trend demands new concepts for machinery to advance, which in turn imposes new demands on machine building. As Industry 4.0 and digitisation advances in industries like Industrial Automation and Robotics, many digital tools and platforms are also becoming available to help machine building advance, one of which is known as on-demand manufacture.
Engineer holding mechanical manufactured CNC component.
What is on-demand manufacture
On-demand manufacturing brings about a revolutionary change in how engineers and buyers can interact with suppliers, particularly in the context of custom Automation machinery. The rise of cloud-based technologies and platforms has digitised manufacturing, and in so doing, offers the Automation industry a resilient supply chain online, where they can gain access to a massive manufacturing network that offers unlimited capacities to produce high quality industrial parts. An example of a leading on-demand manufacturing platform is Xometry – a free-to-use online platform for part instant quoting and sourcing.
Become a full-service solutions provider
Automation Machine building is a complex process involving tasks like welding and assembling hardware, such as structural components, movement-controlling mechanisms, and control components. Whether engaged in developing machinery for internal purposes or offering services to external clients, choosing an on-demand manufacturer provides a strategic advantage.
By selecting an on-demand manufacturer, automation machine builders gain access to an advanced array of manufacturing technologies, spanning from CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, injection moulding, and industrial 3D printing. This diverse toolkit empowers machine builders to produce a wide variety of machinery parts, offering flexibility and customisation around their business goals or those of their clients.
Xometry’s extensive capabilities, ranging from prototyping to large-scale production (producing one to one million parts), highlight the scalability and adaptability inherent in on-demand manufacturing. This flexibility allows Automation machine builders to efficiently meet the demands of diverse projects from a single custom machine to a serial parts for high volume machinery. The one-stop-shop solution provided by platforms like Xometry streamlines the entire process, enabling machine builders to navigate project complexities seamlessly.
Increase productivity
Instead of the time-consuming process of qualifying multiple suppliers for a single project, on-demand manufacture can save you up to 60% of project time by providing a resilient, vetted, and consolidated supply chain all in one centralised platform. Machinists can seamlessly integrate on-demand manufacturing at each stage of their machine building projects:
- Design and Develop: Upload your part designs onto an online quoting platform to receive instant pricing along with Design for Manufacturability (DFM) feedback. This feature allows you to estimate machine building costs and make necessary adjustments for enhanced manufacturability.
- Modelling for Testing and Validation: Leverage a diverse set of manufacturing technologies offered by on-demand platforms to create prototypes and test pieces for validation and customer approvals. Industrial 3D printing, for instance, opens avenues for machinists to explore innovative and complex part manufacturing, facilitating the visualisation of ideas.
- Machinery Construction: On-demand manufacturing platforms go beyond mere production, offering additional services to streamline projects, ranging from Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) to comprehensive quality inspection reports (Standard, FAIR, CMM). For those focusing on high-volume machinery production, the on-demand manufacturing model provides the flexibility to produce series parts precisely when needed, thereby reducing inventory costs for your business.
By integrating on-demand manufacturing at every step, Automation machine builders can not only save time and resources but also benefit from a streamlined, comprehensive solution that enhances overall productivity.
