Companies looking to get on board with SAP and UPS’s distributed manufacturing process can now join the early adopter program, after the two vendors decided to bring more co-innovation customers and partners on board to test and improve the model.
The collaboration between SAP and UPS to bring industrial 3D printing to the masses was originally announced at SAPPHIRE NOW this year.
It brings SAP solutions for the extended supply chain and Internet of Things with the UPS additive manufacturing and logistics network, to help streamline supply chains and get products to market faster and more cost-effectively. According to SAP, some of the benefits of distributed manufacturing are a reduction in parts inventories, cost-effective short production and prototype runs, quick delivery of parts and access to 3 printing capabilities.
Some customers which have already used the program is Airbus APWorks, Fast Radius, HP Inc, Krones, Linear AMS, Moog Inc, Sealed Air Corporation and Stratasys.
“SAP Distributed Manufacturing can enable unprecedented opportunities to revolutionise design, manufacturing, logistics processes and business models,” said Hans Thalbauer, senior vice president, extended supply chain, SAP.
“We are bringing together the innovative power of our customers and partners with SAP in this exciting next phase of our initiative to extend our reach and enable our vision for digital manufacturing.”
The UPS 3D printing network has been expanded to also now serve Asia and Greater China. Registration for the early adopters program is now open globally through to January 2017 – interested companies can find out more here.