Podcast: The Industrialization of Additive Manufacturing During COVID-19
What has COVID-19 meant for additive manufacturing? Has this crisis helped push it into the industrialization stage? Additive manufacturing has been primed to move out from the strictly prototyping technology area, to a more industrialized position to revolutionize design engineering and manufacturing for quite some time. The industry was set up and ready to respond to help our world get through this global COVID-19 challenge, to quickly help with personal protection equipment for instance. This was possible because unlike other manufacturing processes, there is no need for a large upfront investment in new tools such as molds, and users are able to print in a large variety of different materials.
On this Episode
On this episode of The Next Generation Design Podcast guests Tod Parrella, Boris Lauber, and Tom Van’t Erve sit down with host Jennifer Piper to discuss industrialized additive manufacturing: the challenges it has overcome and the opportunities that lay ahead for those industries that have begun to apply it in their processes.
What is Additive Manufacturing?
What is additive manufacturing? Is it the same as 3D Printing? While the guests on this episode have their opinions, they say it is very much open for interpretation. Consensus says, while some use the terms interchangeably, 3D Printing is more applicable for in-home desktop applications where as additive manufacturing is better suited for industrialized processes. Additive manufacturing simplistically refers to the adding up of material to a design; whether it be powdered metal or welding rod, until you reach your part. This is a break from the traditional subtractive manufacturing which is machining from a big piece of material down until you arrive at your desired part.
Additive Manufacturing in Design
When we think about the possibilities of additive manufacturing from a design standpoint, what should be considered? Some of the questions that may come to mind include: How would we reimagine this deign to make sure of the benefits of additive manufacturing? Could we take this multi component assembly and condense it down into one, more complex, 3D printed part? How would we do that, what are the design considerations? These are the questions we explore in this episode of The Next Generation Design podcast.
AI, Machine Learning, and Additive Manufacturing
If recent forays into industrialized additive manufacturing are any indication, many more companies and industries will begin to apply this technology as a routine part of their manufacturing processes. As it evolves the possibilities of AI and Machine learning integration, and closed loop monitoring and control systems are just the start of where this technology could go in the future.
Tune in now, and hear our industrialized additive manufacturing podcast discussion in full on The Next Generation Design Podcast.
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