The benefits of 3D printing to make distributed manufacturing possible, close to the point of consumption, reducing logistics costs and environmental footprint of transport on a global scale have been known for years. Manufacturing on demand, when needed, reducing stocks and making rational use of resources, raw materials and energy.
To make this possible and as a first step it is necessary to have a digital inventory, that is, a certified digital library. It is also important to achieve an efficient integration between the systems involved in each phase of the process (equipment and necessary software) to achieve complete process control and the necessary traceability to ensure quality and certify the final product.
What should a digital inventory contain and which are the different approaches to manage it?
¿ What is a digital inventory?
Digital inventory is an increasingly used concept in supply chain management. This concept is that, instead of storing a physical warehouse with massive quantities of spare parts that may or may not be in demand at any given time, including parts for already obsolete original products, the design files and associated component information can be stored digitally and manufactured on demand.
A digital inventory must contain complete information about the raw material, its requirements, validation needs and traceability.
Also, the information on the complete process to be followed for manufacturing, finishing and inspection, and the approved suppliers for each phase.
Finally, at the piece level, all the information associated with the quality control or certification requirements that may be applied. In summary, it is about collecting in a tool all the information and files necessary to replicate a piece guaranteeing repeatability, traceability and quality.
How to manage a digital inventory?
The basis for efficient and secure management is to establish the mechanisms for collecting and classifying information, protecting the proper use of intellectual and industrial property of end users, OEMs and suppliers, and guaranteeing a secure digital flow.
AD2 Digital Inventory
To ensure secure information management and process integration, Addvance has developed a digital inventory management software platform.
Digital Inventory Management Software: Parts information and file management and process parameters: manufacturing/finishing/verification.
Therefore, it includes all the part and process information in the same tool.
- Integration of secured information flow.
- Control and traceability of information and intellectual property.
- Management of users, libraries, parts and manufacturing orders.
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