3-D printing of machinery spares to be rolled out commercially

While 3-D printing of machinery spares has been a talking point in farm sheds for some time, the country-wide provision of agricultural machinery parts produced by this technology is now being offered on a commercial basis.

And with threat from Brexit to spare-part importation and possible custom delays, the likely ending of the ability of many machinery dealerships to continue the “just-in- time” approach to deliveries could mean the technology’s time had arrived.

Chris Hansen, chairman of online firm Buyanypart which offers a 3-D printing service, said: “The usefulness of a machine shouldn’t be determined by the availability of spare parts.

“You might not have ever considered 3D printing as a solution to your faulty part problem. In reality, it could be by far the most efficient and effective way to keep your equipment, machinery or vehicle firing on all cylinders.”

With 3D printing, he said, it was possible to recreate all kinds of mechanical parts – both old and new – saving someone from having to buy a whole new machine.

He said that state-of-theart 3D printing machines had the power and capability to remake most parts from an initial design – creating a whole new object from thousands of tiny slices that stick together.

Hansen added that the equipment used to3d print spare parts had evolved rapidly in recent years and now ensured durability.