![carpenter_oct19_0368[20].jpg](https://www.tctmagazine.com/downloads/16767/download/carpenter_oct19_0368%5B20%5D.jpg?cb=8757ccee1b5d7d843d78f00f3242f324&w={width}&h={height} "carpenter_oct19_0368[20].jpg")
AM Parts
Carpenter Additive has integrated Link3D’s additive manufacturing workflow software to create a centralised digital thread that refines project management efficiency and team communications.
Serving the automotive, aerospace and energy sectors with speciality alloy atomisation, powder lifecycle management solutions and end-to-end manufacturing services, Carpenter Additive says it faced a ‘real challenge-data consolidation’ prior to deploying Link3D technology.
By establishing a digital thread, the company has been able to aggregate information from builds, scheduling and jobs, and streamline its operations through a ‘centralised information hub.’ According to Carpenter Additive, this has led to a 14% first print quality improvement, a 22% productivity improvement at manufacturing centres and has saved 12 hours per week in project management efficiency.
“We have a mixture of R&D requests as well as customer requests coming in to support materials development and it’s been tricky for us in the past to make sure that data is gathered in a convenient way and then to set up the workflow consistent with that,” commented William Herbert, Director of Technology and R&D at Carpenter Additive. “The challenge is having to manage a large number of variable requests and project inputs across the whole team, from the people on the shop floor to project managers.”
Having integrated Link3D into its operations, Carpenter Additive added a degree of flexibility that has allowed it to negotiate the last 18 months. Machine operators were able to use Link3D via tablets on the shop floor instead of written notes, while it has also allowed staff to work remotely.
“Link3D gives management and our commercial team a tool to keep tabs on work order progress without micromanaging,” added Herbert. “One of the really impactful things was the ability for any of us to log on from anywhere and understand the latest project status. We don’t have to ask or phone for information. We can just log on and see all the multiple moving pieces. This was especially helpful during 2020 when the pandemic forced the majority of our team to work from home.”
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