Video Small Series

Hello, today we’re live from Ligérium 3D to discuss small series manufacturing.

Small series production applies to the manufacturing of products in a limited timeframe or for a restricted market. Depending on the field, these limits vary considerably. A small series in the automotive industry, a mass market, extends beyond a large series in the railway industry, a niche market. A variant is the size of the batches in production for a specific deadline. Typically, this ranges from a few hundred to several thousand parts.

Effective small series production impacts high-stakes companies. While there are simple models for large series manufacturing, there are about as many models as there are companies active in small series manufacturing. The different nature of these three units makes it difficult to flow manufacturing orders from one end of the production line to the other.

The main manufacturing processes are: machining, shaping, plastic injection, foundry, sheet metal work, lost wax techniques, sand casting and additive manufacturing. Note that these processes can be combined to reduce lead times and costs. For instance, we can print in 3D molds used for injection.

Relevant fields include industrial equipment such as manufacturing mechanical parts for machines. Small series also applies to high value-added fields, such as aerospace and defense as well as segment markets for, high-end motorcycles, personalized competitive sports items and interior design. Last but not least, various low-volume professional fields exist such as trade tools or spare parts.

Manufacturers increasingly need to produce less standardized products in smaller quantities. This enables greater diversity for specific needs, not to mention the launch of a pre-industrialization phase. This trend is accelerated by the maturity of additive and distributed manufacturing. Centralized production will be replaced by production close to the application.

Small series manufacturing is increasingly promoted by the generalization of the concept of on-demand manufacturing and the emergence of platforms such as the Make service of Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE marketplace. Through this service, you can connect to multiple subcontractors worldwide for faster execution and a wide range of readily available processes and materials.