Additive manufacturing has proven to be particularly useful in applications in the semiconductor industry, where capital equipment manufacturers are under pressure to not only improve precision, but also deliver faster time to market, continually lower costs, and minimize supply chain disruption.
The Challenge for Semiconductor Manufacturers
As the speed and complexity of the smart devices and computers we use every day has continued to grow exponentially, so has the complexity of the microchips that enable them. This has placed increased pressure on semiconductor OEMs to deliver higher performance and reliability in their equipment.
Although rising demand for microchips has made it necessary for semiconductor capital equipment manufacturers to expand production, the process of building, shipping, installing, and commissioning new manufacturing lines capable of meeting modern precision requirements is technically challenging, time consuming, and expensive. These lines are also often dependent on slow and inefficient supply chains, making them vulnerable to unanticipated issues that can extend product development cycles and result in lead times as long as six to nine months for additional tooling.
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