Will the 3D-printing revolution keep older tractors running for longer?
“Keep ’er going” is the mantra of cash-strapped farmers everywhere. So you lubricate and you tinker and you keep your fingers crossed. At some point, though, something’s going to break — and that’s when you discover that replacement parts are scarcer than hens’ teeth.
David Smith understands your frustration. He runs BuyAnyPart, an online company based in the U.K. that specializes in hard-to-find bits of machinery, with a catalogue that boasts more than 500,000 items. But sometimes, what their customers need simply isn’t available. That’s why the company launched a new service last fall: 3D printing.
“Farmers can find themselves spending more time looking for a part than fixing the machine,” Smith says. “We aim to change that.”
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, allows you to construct an object one ultra-thin layer at a time. A range of different technologies are available, from the thermoplastic printing possible with a $1,000 machine from Best Buy to advanced direct metal laser sintering, which uses high-powered lasers to fuse metal powders.
According to Smith, today’s materials and printers have evolved to the point where a 3D-printed replacement can be just as durable as the original — or even better. And while BuyAnyPart may be unique in targeting the farming sector, 3D-print shops are popping up in communities large and small.
Ideally, the process starts with technical drawings, although photos and part dimensions are often sufficient. If those aren’t available, a good fabricator may be able to get the specs they need from your worn-out or broken part. Pricing depends on the size and shape of the part and the material used to make it.
In addition to cost savings, the 3D-printing revolution brings big environmental benefits; you don’t need to consign your 1970 Farmall to the trash heap just because the radiator fan cracked. And according to a 2017 PwC report, it’s also good for parts suppliers. Instead of keeping big inventories of parts that are rarely ordered, they can simply print on demand. “3D printing will transform the spare parts market,” says one digital product manager quoted in the report.
Step one, however, is spreading the message that this approach is both effective and affordable. “At the moment it is still seen as something high-tech that is out of reach,” Smith says.
—Julie Stauffer