Almost all major automotive manufacturers, including Volkswagen Autoeuropa, have documented the benefits that 3D printing brings to their design and production processes, significantly reducing time and cost. To demonstrate the potential financial impact of 3D printing's efficiency, Ultimaker recently researched the value of every minute in the automotive industry; initial findings were astounding: US automotive manufacturing costs $460,706 per minute or $1,110,663,840 per week.
Replicating the same formula and evaluating similar public statistics, Ultimaker found that US manufacturing costs $4,258,341 per minute, while revenue is $4,280,821; after deducting manufacturing costs alone, the profit per minute is only $22,480, not including other expenses. Such a meager profit margin shows that even seemingly minor efficiencies, such as 3D printing improving rapid prototyping models, can have a significant impact on a company's profitability.
Many well-known manufacturers have already benefited from 3D printing. For example, Jabil, one of the world's largest manufacturing suppliers, has used 3D printers at its Auburn Hills factory in Detroit to reduce production time by 80% and mold costs by 30%.
3D printed flip-up license plate cover.
Jabil engineers realized early on that it took three weeks for a machine shop to produce a single tool—and up to two months for more complex parts; this hindered their ability to innovate customized products in a timely manner. To better serve their healthcare and industrial clients, they had to use 3D printing to accelerate production and reduce costs. As professional 3D printers become a cornerstone in the industry, these rates will improve due to cost and time savings, as well as overall efficiency.
The complete statistics are as follows: These average figures are based on public data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), including employment in U.S. manufacturing, the number of workers in manufacturing jobs, and the average wages for these positions; in addition, overall economic data for manufacturing was also included in the calculation.
Cost of Manufacturing (Employees/Wages Combined) (in USD)
．Per Week - 43,042,002,652
．Per Day - 6,132,011,337
．Per Hour - 255,500,472
．Per Minute - 4,258,341
Revenue from Manufacturing (Employees/Wages Combined) (in USD)
．Per Week - 43,469,230,769
．Per Day - 6,164,383,562
．Per Hour - 256,849,315
．Per Minute - 4,280,822
Revenue Profit (Employees/Wages Combined) (in USD)
．Per Week - 227,228,117
．Per Day - 32,372,225
．Per Hour - 1,348,843
．Per Minute - 22,480
Are you also surprised by the manufacturing cost per minute? If you are interested in 3D printing content, you can refer to our other articles; or if you want to directly understand how the machines work, you are welcome to contact us. If you have a need for prototype or sample printing, we also provide high-quality printing services. We will continue to provide information on new technologies or applications related to 3D printing, so feel free to follow our latest news on Facebook.