3D PRINTING IN INDUSTRIAL MAINTENANCE AND COST REDUCTION

Abstract

Companies with large scale industrial production need to consider the maintenance of their machines as a key point for their growth and development. In this sense, the cost and time to carry out the maintenance of industrial machines are fundamental, that is why a research was carried out with emerging technologies that can optimize the processes of companies in terms of manufacturing parts for exchange during the maintenance of the machines. Therefore, a case study was carried out, with qualitative research, on a large company in the food industry that applies 3D printing in the maintenance of packaging production machines. The implementation of the new technology obtained positive results that started to add financially to the company. From this study, it is concluded that the implementation of the new technology is very advantageous for medium and large companies that need quick parts changes to continue their production, given that the paralysis causes loss or retraction in production volumes and sale. 3D printing is still an emerging technology and little used in Brazil, but it grows exponentially and reaches several areas that already benefit from its practicality and precision.