Page 28 - 3D Metal Printing Magazine Winter 2022

3D AM Material Supply Chains
vation/manufacturing and supply-chain material-management duties.
It’s not hard to imagine a future, if not here already, where material production- volume requirements make it impossible to live with continued escalating costs and uncapped lead times. It also isn’t hard, as a material manufacturer, to know that at some point there will be insufficient capital to continue as a pure make-to- order, unscaled production business.
To succeed, material suppliers must meet the immediate challenge of achiev- ing visibility and continuity of supply. Doing so results in part manufacturers having access to materials in shorter time- frames, with materials located only hours or days away—not weeks or months.
How an AM-Material GPO Works
For its part, MatterProviders positions
itself to provide GPO services with local warehousing and distribution infrastruc- ture in the major U.S. AM production cen- ters. In this model (see graphic below), the company will create GPO process capabilities among major part producers in a geographic area, provide aggregated planning and procurement services, and provision U.S.-based forward storage and inbound logistics services to customers on an as-required basis.
In a GPO, the material requirements of multiple consumers are aggregated and presented to material producers at scale, and with long-term visibility and com- mitment into future requirements, creat- ing the opportunity for long-term value for both parties. The more members that join a GPO service model in a geographic area, the greater the value. Added features enabled by the scale include timelier and
more frequent (smaller-scaled) deliveries to 3D printing shop floors. This enables better use of manufacturing space without additional company-owned and -man- aged overhead (for storing material) as well as efficient return, redistribution, remuneration and reconditioning of unused material.
While specification and purchase-vol- ume aggregation are managed, members do not share specifications or other intel- lectual property, thus maintaining the necessary firewall protections for com- petitive differentiation.
In all, the lessons learned over decades of supply-chain leveraging via the GPO model, now updated for today’s best sup- ply-chain practices as SCaaS, can be applied in assuring continual AM-material supply while reducing cost, waste and lead time. 3DMP
The GPO Model Demonstrated
Here's a closed-loop Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) model, showing a hypothetical Southern California part- OEM part-material setup.
1. In this member/customer-facing aspect of the GPO model, the GPO operator creates membership from various AM- part OEMs in a given geographic area, providing specification-database expertise in helping members select the right powders for the right
applications, and making them aware of specifica- tions made at scale where time- and cost-savings advantages may lie.
2. The GPO operator then aggregates demand over the membership, plans time requirements for each member, and facili- tates the purchase, move- ment, independent testing and local warehousing of material. When local members need material, short-haul delivery can replenish stocks to point- of-use.
3. As the GPO operator delivers, it also picks up unused or obsolete mate- rials and arranges for its return (aggregated with others) for refurbishment or use by secondary mar- kets.
Part OEMs
MILITARY AVIONICS
1
Scaled, Longer-View Demand Plans
(Integration with Respective Material OEM Planning)
2
Material OEMs or Printer OEMs with Material
NORTH EMEA APAC Outbound
AMERICA Load Aggregation (Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage)
SOURCE
Spec Aggregation & Supply Chain Services PLAN • SOURCE • DELIVER
RND / ACADEMICS
ONE-DAY RADIUS
Material Testing & Warehousing
Reverse/
Return/
Reuse
(Secondary Market, Slow-Moving/Obsolete)
3
Secondary
Market
(Requalification and Destination-Sourcing)
Supply Chain
Visibility
Control Tower
(PO Track, Track, Expedite)
2
26 | 3D METAL PRINTING • WINTER 2022
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