Siemens announced today the official launch and general availability of the Siemens Additive Manufacturing (AM) Network, following pilots and successful implementations with customers and partners, including Decathlon, Siemens Gas & Power, Siemens Mobility, HP and Materialise. The Siemens AM Network provides an advanced cloud-based solution to foster collaboration and process orchestration between engineers, procurement and suppliers of 3D printed parts. Providing an end-to-end digital process that connects the demand for parts with a supplier network helps enable globally distributed manufacturing. The Siemens Additive Manufacturing Network will be featured at Formnext 2019 in Frankfurt, Germany.
Siemens’ AM Network is designed for enterprises, suppliers and partners that are looking to accelerate the adoption of AM for industrial processes and applications. It digitalizes the order-to-delivery process by aligning the engineering and commercial processes for high-quality AM functional prototypes and serial production parts. The system connects buyers with a global supplier network which streamlines the process, fosters collaboration and engagement, and orchestrates the workflow to increase throughput and reduce operational costs. As part of the Siemens’ suite of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, the AM Network meets the most stringent requirements for security, availability and regulatory compliance.
“Siemens’ additive manufacturing experts and industry veterans have developed the additive manufacturing network based on a clear understanding of the complexities and needs of the industry, fostered by a sincere passion to promote the adoption of AM in the industrial domain,” said Zvi Feuer, Senior Vice President Manufacturing Engineering at Siemens Digital Industries Software. “As buyers, sellers and partners continue to plug into the ecosystem, they will find a streamlined, modular solution that can grow with each company’s individual needs.”
Early adopters are already realizing the benefits of the AM Network. Decathlon, the largest sporting goods retailer in the world with over 1500 stores in 49 countries, uses the AM Network to manage their Additive Manufacturing ordering process and control production progress as part of their strategy to scale their use of 3D printing globally and ramp up production, while maintaining high standards of quality. At Siemens Gas & Power, the AM Network is helping the business be more agile and respond to inquiries in real time to help ensure customers get exactly what they ordered, on time.
“We have full confidence in the AM Network to help us facilitate a smooth flow of information among the various functions within the organization,” said Andreas Graichen, group manager, AM industrialization and digitalization, Siemens Power & Gas, Service Distributed Energy. “It will also allow us to effectively connect to our external customers, while providing a detailed outlook on costs and production time from beginning to end.”
Expanding Strategic Industrial Alliance
Earlier this year Siemens and HP continued to build on their long standing strategic alliance with the introduction of a joint additive manufacturing solution targeting the automotive industry and other key industrial markets. The partnership is expanding with the integration of HP’s advanced 3D printing technology with the Siemens AM Network, and with the addition of HP’s Digital Manufacturing Network partners to the Siemens AM Network. The HP Digital Manufacturing Network is a global community of digital manufacturing service providers with the capabilities to help design, produce, and deliver high quality plastic and metal final parts at scale leveraging HP‘s Multi Jet Fusion and Metal Jet 3D printing solutions.
“Siemens and HP share a collective goal to help accelerate the journey to digital manufacturing for customers,” said Rob Mesaros, Global Head of Services and Alliances, HP 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing. “Adding HP Multi Jet Fusion Solutions and HP Digital Manufacturing Network plastic production partners to the Siemens AM Network is a strong enabler for customers looking to use 3D printing for industrial production.”
“We believe that collaboration among AM industry leaders is key. It increases the adoption of 3D printing and it supports companies in their digital transformation,” said Ben Cassiman, Global Key Partner Manager at Materialise. “As a member of HPs Digital Manufacturing Network, and as a supplier joining the Siemens AM Network Supplier’s community, we’re expanding our successful partnerships with Siemens and HP, advancing AM series production and mass customization.”
The Additive Manufacturing Network is one more way in which Siemens is facilitating access to the latest knowledge and technology to ease the adoption of industrial additive manufacturing for customers to digitally transform business operations. Siemens will showcase the complete solution at Formnext 2019, highlighting features such as digital Inventory, part analysis, RFQ process, supplier network, cost analysis, order intake, customer communication, production tracking and scheduling, and data analytics, dashboards and reports.
The Siemens AM Network is now available worldwide for registration. To learn more about Siemens’ Additive Manufacturing Network, please see www.siemens.com/plm/am-network/.
