As industries around the world strive to find new, more sustainable ways of operating, one of the critical underlying ideas that must be addressed is how to keep products, equipment, and infrastructure in use. The “Delivering on MRO” webinar hosted by ZVerse, Inc. will zoom in on this topic, highlighting how on-demand maintenance and repair can help to extend the lifecycle of products.
One concrete change inspired by the idea of longer lifecycles is “Right to Repair” legislation. Recently voted into law, “Right to Repair” ensures that products like appliances and electronics can be fixed, rather than replaced, for up to 10 years from their production date. This, in turn, is driving a growing demand for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services and solutions. This is precisely where ZVerse, Inc. comes in.
Based in South Carolina, USA, ZVerse has brought to market a breakthrough 2D to 3D automation-assisted engineering solution, which effectively translates 2D legacy part designs into 3D model assets. These can subsequently be manufactured using on-demand digital manufacturing processes, such as additive manufacturing. The company’s solution is not only appealing to OEMs who need to produce more replacement parts, but also to manufacturers who can benefit from on-demand industrial parts to significantly reduce machine downtimes.
From a sustainability perspective, MRO programs play an important role, extending the lifetimes of products and machines by as much as 20%-30% and achieving 5%-20% energy use efficiencies. On-demand MRO solutions, enabled by the ZVerse platform and digital manufacturing, go even further by reducing overproduction of spare parts, overstock inventories and emissions generated by transport. In other words, producing replacement or spare parts locally and only when they are needed will cut back significantly on emissions and material waste.
A study looking at MRO or refurbishing and repairing electronics noted that with a $73 billion electronics refurbishment market value in 2021, the industry can avoid 5 Mt CO2e emissions from lifetime extension every year with maintenance, repair, and overhaul.
‘Delivering on MRO’ webinar
In an upcoming webinar hosted by ZVerse, the company and various industry experts will highlight the growing importance of on-demand digital manufacturing and MRO solutions for enhancing sustainable manufacturing. The webinar will look at how ZVerse’s software is strategically positioned to solve existing challenges in implementing on-demand MRO, such as rapidly converting legacy designs to 3D CAD models and accessing CAD design and production services.
Beginning at 10am EST on June 1, the virtual event will bring together a host of speakers and panelists, including David Craig, ZVerse President; Deborah Dull, Founder of Circular Supply Chain Network; Dan Brunermer, Technical Fellow at ExOne; Amir Sasson, Provost at BI Norwegian Business School; and Sherry Handel, Executive Director of the Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association. The industry expert panel will be moderated by Sarah O’Sell, Head of B2B Software Marketing & Communications at ZVerse.
Manufacturing on Demand
Following an introduction by Craig about the benefits of on-demand MRO, the panelists will take the virtual stage. Each will bring a different perspective to the table. Dull will focus on UN Sustainable Development Goals and parallel movements, such as Right to Repair and Circular Economy, with a particular focus on inventory innovation. Brunermer will dive into the evolution of manufacturing for MRO part production programs, with a particular emphasis on binder jetting.
“With binder jetting, you have several methods available to meet your MRO needs for almost any scale, in the widest variety of materials,” Brunermer says. “One offs or production, tools or directly printed replacement parts, ExOne has a proven record of solving the pain-points in MRO.”
Sasson will provide insights into how digital manufacturing production supercenters are being employed and how the technologies are influencing business decisions. Handel will follow up with a look at the Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association’s efforts to understand digital manufacturing lifecycles.
“There is limited published additive manufacturing research that considers life-cycle assessment, which is a comparative study of the environmental impact a part or product has throughout the stages of its life from ‘cradle to grave’,” she explains. “The AMGTA is addressing this lack of research by commissioning studies that include life-cycle assessments or LCAs. LCAs analyze a part at each phase of its life, from resource extraction, material processing, part manufacturing, assembly, distribution, use, up and through the part’s eventual end of life when it is no longer useful. We want to fully understand what the carbon emissions and other environmental impacts are all along the way.”
The panelists will provide a comprehensive look at the impact of digital manufacturing technologies on MRO and, ultimately, how the present and future of MRO solutions will play a role in shaping a more sustainable future for virtually all manufacturing industries, such as transportation, energy, construction, automotive, marine, aerospace, appliances and more.
Attendees also will be welcome to join a live Q&A after the panel, as well as networking breakout rooms. Registration for the free ZVerse event is now open, be sure to sign up before June 1, 2021.
* This article is reprinted from 3D Printing Media Network. If you are involved in infringement, please contact us to delete it.
Author: Tess Boissonneault
Leave A Comment