Atlas Copco relied on external suppliers to produce the rivet delivery bowl, a critical component in self piercing riveting systems used in automotive production. Conventional manufacturing resulted in long lead times of up to 12 weeks, high costs, material waste, and limited flexibility to respond to urgent or changing production demands.
From Bottlenecks to Breakthroughs: Atlas Copco’s 3D Printing Journey
Summary
Challenge
Solution
Atlas Copco transitioned the rivet delivery bowl to in house polymer additive manufacturing. Using Laser Sintering with EOS systems and PA 2200 material, the component could be redesigned and produced with greater design freedom, faster iteration cycles, and consistent quality, while significantly simplifying the supply chain.
Value
– Up to 92% reduction in lead time, from several weeks to a few days
– Approximately 30% lower production costs through in house manufacturing
– Near zero material waste compared to conventional processes
– Higher production flexibility and responsiveness to changing customer and market demands
Products & Services
Polymer Additive Manufacturing (Laser Sintering)
EOS P 396 system
PA 2200 polymer material
AM I Navigator Maturity Model
0
1
2
3
4
5
Strategy
S0
S1
S2
AM supports lead-time, cost, flexibility, and supply-chain objectives for a selected application; a company-wide strategy is not evidenced.
S3
S4
S5
Product Design
PD0
PD1
PD2
The rivet delivery bowl was redesigned for AM with greater design freedom and faster iteration, but advanced optimization or PLM integration is not stated.
PD3
PD4
PD5
Material
M0
M1
M2
PA 2200 is established for the application with consistent quality; broader material qualification and portfolio management are not described.
M3
M4
M5
Process Engineering
PE0
PE1
PE2
Laser Sintering is implemented as a controlled in-house route with repeatable output, while advanced process optimization is not detailed.
PE3
PE4
PE5
Production Setup
PS0
PS1
PS2
PS3
Production has moved in-house on an EOS P 396, simplifying the supply chain and enabling faster response to demand.
PS4
PS5
Manufacturing Execution
ME0
ME1
ME2
The case shows responsive in-house production and short cycles; integrated scheduling, traceability, and execution systems are not evidenced.
ME3
ME4
ME5
Quality
Q0
Q1
Q2
Consistent quality is reported for a critical component, but formal validation, inspection, and process-control systems are not described.
Q3
Q4
Q5
Maintenance & Service
MS0
MS1
Urgent production needs can be served faster, but no structured digital spare-parts, maintenance, or service model is stated.
MS2
MS3
MS4
MS5
Environmental Sustainability
ES0
ES1
ES2
Near-zero material waste is a clear environmental benefit, although lifecycle metrics or a broader sustainability framework are not provided.
ES3
ES4
ES5
People & Organization
PO0
PO1
PO2
In-house AM capability implies dedicated operational know-how; organization-wide roles, training, and governance are not documented.
PO3
PO4
PO5
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