DECEMBER 20239MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY INSIGHTSuptime is important for 3D printing, reliability also encompasses getting the part you expect, when you expect it. The print should work the first time, and every time, to a similar precision as expected with manufacturing mainstays such as injection molding, press and sinter, CNC, or casting. Too often 3D printer OEMs aim to deliver the capability to make a part, rather than a reliable and repeatable process that makes the same part wherever it is in the print volume, on whatever printer in your fleet, whenever it was printed. When a manufacturer struggles with an unreliable machine from one OEM, the reputation of the whole industry suffers. What could have been an AM champion becomes a detractor. One approach to achieve reliability is to leverage software and sensor (e.g. cameras, lasers, LIDAR) combo, as Markforged has done with its Blacksmith Adaptive Intelligence platform, to complement--and perhaps even displace--high quality, well-engineered machines. By correcting for machine-to-machine variability, monitoring part quality, and making real-time adjustments, if necessary, the industry can deliver known repeatability.Easy to use may seem like a nice to have--injection molders and CNCs are not simple, easy to use machines after all. Nevertheless, manufacturing is changing, and the tools must adjust to this reality. The manufacturing workforce is aging, with an average age of 44. 25 percent of the workforce is over 55 years old. Machinists trend even older, by about 10 years on average. Additionally, the number of people in manufacturing roles in the US has decreased 30 percent since 2000, and those in manufacturing stay at a company 5.1 years on average, down 15 percent since 2004. At the same time, that skilled labor is decreasing in number and aging out of the labor pool, the demand on them for fast turnarounds has increased. The rate of introduction of new products, and their importance to the financial health of companies has increased. A McKinsey survey found that more than 25 percent of corporate revenue and profit came from new products with a follow-up survey finding that 50 percent of global revenues in 2026 are expected to come from products and services that did not exist in 2021. In short, the talent pool is not poised to revolutionize the manufacturing floor, but business leaders are expecting versatile factories which can deliver on shorter lead times, to make new products that make up half of the global economy. By focusing on easy to use, rather than infinitely tunable machines, 3D printer manufacturers can turn any labor source into just press print manufactures that make parts at the point of need, and set leaders' vision up for success.AM Forward's improved training, readily available and applicable standards, financing, and industrial partnerships will all increase AM adoption. Yet, to increase access to additive manufacturing and readily scale in every factory, 3D printer OEMs must do their part to provide reliable and simple to use products. Getting this right, as an industry, can make the difference between a slow but steady 50 year adoption cycle and a much faster one that pushes us to think of what we can make next. From my view, "It just works" is my favorite customer response and the feedback I look for to know we are on the right track for this goal. Across brands, 3D printers that are reliable and easy to use, more than any other factor, will drive adoption of additive manufacturing on factory floors
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