The Barnes Group Advisors (TBGA) has released an impact study revealing the overall economic benefits of an Additive Manufacturing production campus for the Pittsburgh International Airport.
With a name that looks like a movie title, Neighborhood 91 would sit on 195 acres directly attached to Pittsburgh International Airport. According to the advanced manufacturing engineering consultancy, the campus could integrate a complete end-to-end Additive Manufacturing (AM) ecosystem. Furthermore, it features all the required tools necessary to ensure the AM/3D printing supply chain.
TGBA reports that a cluster concept like Neighborhood 91 can foster the industrialization of the technology with the creation of a cost-efficient ecosystem. Several numerical data models with relevant industry data were complemented by economic theory to analyze the impact.
Key figures announce a reduction in production costs – 25% for Parts and 30% for powder, simplified supply chain with 80% reduction in manufacturing lead time and 80+% reduction in transportation cost and miles for powder to part production. Workforce development and R&D boost productivity and innovation, agglomeration economies and labor market pooling for reductions in learning Curves and under-utilized equipment, reduced energy consumption and emissions have been identified as key areas that will be impacted.
Observing the many cost impacts of a concentrated AM production campus, TBGA ADDvisor® Services Leader and report co-author, Laura Ely, commented, “the current AM production supply chain is fragmented. This study validates that Neighborhood 91’s centralized campus will significantly reduce cost and the need to manage parts across a dispersed supply chain.”
TBGA Founder and Managing Director, John Barnes, noted, “a cluster does two key things: It enables process owners to focus on developing and optimizing their core process, and it creates a skilled regional labor pool.” It is also a win for the region, he added, “because innovative companies locate near other innovative companies; this is an area where Pittsburgh, specifically, has been successful through the years.”
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