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Technology and methodologies may evolve, but one aspect of product development doesn’t change and that is the drive to build amazing products that change consumers lives. How companies get from the idea stage to putting their product in the lives of their customers is subject to constant change.
One area of product manufacturing that is getting a boost from advances in technology is rapid prototyping, thanks to additive manufacturing. The ability to manufacture components quickly and precisely using 3D printing speeds up the testing phase of product development decreases time to market, and makes customizations easier to manage. This article explores the impact of additive manufacturing on product roadmaps.
Understanding Product Roadmapping
A product roadmap outlines a product's strategic vision, goals, and development timeline, aligning teams and stakeholders around a shared plan for its creation and growth. It prioritizes features, initiatives, and resources to ensure focused progress and adaptability.
Some of the key components of a product roadmap are as follows:
- Product vision and strategy
- Goals and initiatives
- Features and requirements
- Timeline and milestones
The Benefits of Product Roadmapping
In simple terms, the product roadmap keeps product teams and stakeholders aligned to the same goals and progress. By keeping crucial product planning data on the roadmap, all stakeholders have transparent access to the latest information, facilitating cross-functional collaborations and greater innovation.
The product roadmap helps manufacturing teams prioritize tasks and resources, while tracking progress towards milestones and adapting to changes while keeping everyone informed.
An Introduction to Additive Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing is another way to talk about 3D printing or the process of building parts by adding layers upon layers of material to create them. The opposite process is known as subtractive manufacturing or machining, where a part is created by removing excess pieces from raw material until the desired part is left.
As technology advances and 3D printing capabilities expand, more industries are incorporating the techniques into their product plans. Additive manufacturing is used in everything from automotive manufacturing to aerospace technology to electronics and medical devices.
Different Types of Additive Manufacturing
The concept of additive manufacturing follows a similar process in that layers of material are added together to create the finished part or component, but the process to achieve this can differ. The following are different types of additive manufacturing:
- Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM): Melts and extrudes thermoplastic filament to build objects layer by layer.
- Stereolithography (SLA): Uses a laser to cure a liquid resin into hardened plastic using a layer-by-layer fashion.
- Selective Laser Sintering (SLS): Utilizes a laser to sinter powdered material, binding it together to create a solid structure.
- Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS): Similar to SLS but uses metal powders, allowing for the creation of metal parts.
- Binder Jetting: Deposits a liquid binding agent onto a powder bed to bond the powder particles together.
Advantages of Additive Manufacturing
The use of additive manufacturing (3D printing) as opposed to subtractive manufacturing (machining) offers many benefits, including the following:
Design Flexibility
Additive manufacturing enables the creation of complex shapes that are challenging or nearly impossible to achieve with traditional manufacturing.
Customization
Building parts quickly and precisely allows for personalized products and on-demand manufacturing.
Reduced Material Waste
Adding material to create the part reduces excessive waste by adding only the material required to build the component without generating waste.
Speed
Additive manufacturing accelerates the build of MVPs in manufacturing, allowing for rapid iterations and faster time-to-market.
Integrating Additive Manufacturing into Your Product Roadmaps
Sometimes, the use of additive manufacturing is an entire milestone in itself, while other times, it’s merely a step in the process of achieving a milestone. Here are some examples of where additive manufacturing fits into the broader product development process and the product roadmap.
Early Stage Development
Additive manufacturing is useful in rapid prototyping and iterative design by producing parts quickly and efficiently for testing. As soon as an iteration of the prototype is ready for concept validation, user feedback gets collected and the next iteration can improve upon the last, which may involve adjusting the 3D printed parts.
Mid-Stage Development
The mid-stages of development also benefit from additive manufacturing. When teams are ready to create small batches for testing and refinement, they can use additive manufacturing to create their small batch. This method also makes it possible to create custom tooling and unique features for testing faster than other methods of manufacturing.
Late Stage Development
Additive manufacturing continues to be beneficial even in the full-scale production phase. This strategy can be used to create specific parts efficiently, optimizing specific portions of the supply chain. If material supply and capacity can meet demand, using additive manufacturing can also enable on-demand manufacturing options.
Challenges and Considerations of Using Additive Manufacturing
There are undoubtedly many benefits to using 3D printers in product design and development, but there are also some challenges to consider before adopting the practice in your organization.
For starters, this process has technical challenges. Material limitations are an important consideration when deciding which pieces to create using additive manufacturing. Quality control is also essential in building your product and will require a specific process for the 3D-printed parts. Additionally, some 3D-printed pieces require post-processing treatment, such as sanding, painting, or finishing touches.
Using additive manufacturing also requires some strategic considerations. Have your teams conduct a cost vs. benefit analysis to discover whether the process is feasible or profitable for your company. You may have intellectual property concerns that may deter you from using additive manufacturing, or you may have a skills gap with your staff that requires additional training to use additive manufacturing.
Future Trends and Impacts of Additive Manufacturing on Product Development
The future of additive manufacturing is set to revolutionize product development by shifting paradigms in design and manufacturing. As this technology advances, it enables unprecedented design flexibility, allowing for more complex and innovative products. The potential for mass customization also becomes a more realistic option, as additive manufacturing can economically produce personalized products to meet individual customer needs.
Decentralized production is also becoming more feasible with strategies such as additive manufacturing, which reduces the need for centralized factories and enables localized, on-demand production. This transformation not only accelerates development cycles but also fosters greater sustainability and efficiency in the production process.
Dynamic Product Roadmapping Software for Manufacturers
The synergy between product roadmapping and additive manufacturing is reshaping the landscape of product development. This integration offers major benefits, including enhanced design flexibility, rapid prototyping, and the potential for mass customization and decentralized production. By adopting these practices, businesses can streamline their development processes, reduce costs, and bring innovative products to market faster.
As technology continues to evolve, embracing the combined power of strategic roadmapping using a dynamic product roadmapping software and additive manufacturing will be crucial for staying competitive and leading the future of product development and manufacturing.
To find out how dynamic product roadmapping software from Gocious can help your development teams make the most of additive manufacturing. Book your free demo with our product specialists today.