246541-FEB 2014.pdf

A Supplement to

Modern Machine Shop &

MoldMaking Technology

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4

The Future

of Production

0214AM_Cover.indd 2 1/16/2014 2:56:28 PM

Renishaws laser melting system is a

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0213 Renishaw_Digital.indd 1 1/18/13 3:23 PM

Con t e n t s

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4

AdditiveManufacturingInsight.com February 2014 1

04 08

02 Something to Add The Additive Future

F E A T U R E S

04 Reimagining Implants A medical-industry contract manufacturer that built its

reputation on CNC machining is now helping its

customers realize the advantages of additive

manfuacturing.

By Peter Zelinski

08 Practicality and Possibility At the recent Euromold trade fair in Germany, a

notable theme was the application of AM to the

manufacture of end-use components and tooling.

Here is some of what we saw.

By Christina Fuges

14 Product News

15 News from AMTThe Association For Manufacturing Technology

ABOUT THE COVER: These hip stems used to be made through forging. Today, DiSanto Technology grows the parts in batches like this one, without any need for a die.

Read more on page 4.

PUBLISHER

Travis Egan

[email protected]

EDITORS

Peter Zelinski

[email protected]

Christina Fuges

[email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITOR

El McKenzie

[email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR

Kate Hand

[email protected]

ART DIRECTOR

Aimee Reilly

[email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGER

William Caldwell

[email protected]

0214AM_TOC.indd 1 1/16/2014 2:57:13 PM

What will manufacturing look like once additive

manufacturing is in more widespread use? DiSan-

to Technology, subject of the article on page 4,

offers clues. 3D printing of metal components now

accounts for a notable share of this frms produc-

tion. If manufacturing in general is on its way to

adopting additive processes to a similar extent,

then the differences we see at DiSanto, along with

other adopters of additive manufacturing for end-

use parts, are suggestive of the shift we are likely

to see in the very nature of part production.

How will manufacturing look different once

additive production has matured? Here are some

of the ways:

1. Fewer employees. An additive machine

needs a person to oversee it, but that same

person could go on to oversee four, six or eight of

the machines just as effectively. With additive pro-

duction, expanding capacity does not necessarily

entail expanding the production staff.

2. Office-like plants. Additive machines are

quiet and clean. A shop with nothing but 3D

printers running feels more like a lab than a plant.

DiSanto set up its additive machines in what used

to be an offce. Since the room remains tidy and

free of shop noise, it still seems like an offce,

particularly given the staff member working at a

desk within this same room.

3. Simple machining. Some of what is done

through fve-axis machining today can more

easily be done through 3D printing. Geomet-

ric complexity adds challenge to a machining

process, but in an additive process, a complex

part is about as easy to produce as a simple one.

In an additive future, it seems likely that relatively

simple cuts will account for a larger share of total

CNC machining activity.

4. Easy onshore/offshore. To start production

on an additive manufacturing job, little is needed

in the way of setup or tooling. For companies with

access to additive machines in multiple countries,

this means the choice of where to produce can

be made as quickly as the digital fle can be sent.

Jobs will shift rapidly across national borders.

5. Super JIT. Additive machines seem slow,

but their cycle times are short compared to the

overall lead times for other processes. Today, a

responsive manufacturer provides just-in-time

delivery of known and established parts. Addi-

tive production will bring just-in-time delivery of

previously unknown and unestablished parts.

Quick production will be possible even for new or

custom designs.

6. Super unattended. See point 1. A room

flled with additive machines might represent the

ultimate in unattended production. Such a shop is

less like a factory for making parts and more like

a farm for growing them.

7. Tooling just for high volumes. The

DiSanto-made parts on this issues cover used to

require forging dies, but no longer. In the future,

an increasing share of part numbers will be com-

ponents that formerly needed engineered tooling,

but now can be made through 3D printing. Dies

and molds will still be made and used (some will

even be made additively), but we will associate

this tooling with high volumes to an even greater

extent than we do today.

Something to Add

Peter Zelinski

Editor

The Additive FutureIf additive manufacturing of end-use parts becomes routine, the ways we think

about industrial production will change.

2 AM Supplement

0214AM_Something to Add.indd 2 1/16/2014 3:03:01 PM

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4 AM Supplement

F E A T U R E By Peter Zelinski

Reimagining Implants

A medical-industry contract manufacturer that built its

reputation on CNC machining is now helping its customers

realize the advantages of additive manufacturing.

Ronald Dunn, vice president of medical-

industry contract manufacturer DiSanto

Technology, says the photo on this page

illustrates the future of spinal cage implants.

The part shown is actually a scaled-up model

DiSanto uses to illustrate this design to medical

device companies. Surgeons and other medical-

industry professionals who are knowledgeable

about spinal surgery look at this model and im-

mediately appreciate the beneft: bone ingrowth.

A spinal cage implant essentially serves as

a spacer between adjacent vertebrae that are

fused together during spinal surgery. The part is

usually machined, whether from a plastic (PEEK)

or from a titanium alloy. Because it is machined,

the part is typically dense and solid.

This new design is self-evidently better, Dunn

says. Because the parts mesh allows the pa-

tients bone to grow into it, the body accepts this

implant such that the ft improves over time. Few

would contest the value of this ingrowth, he says.

Its just that machining has never offered a way

to create this mesh geometry. The mesh seen

here was possible because this part, instead of

being machined, was produced through additive

manufacturing. The part was grown in succes-

sive layers on an electron beam melting (EBM)

machine from Arcam.

0214AM_Feature 1.indd 4 1/16/2014 3:03:42 PM


DiSanto now has two of these machines,

along with one Arcam employee on-site, as part

of a partnership with Arcam aimed at increasing

both the demand and the capacity for additive

manufacturing of medical parts in the United

States. DiSanto sees so much potential in this

method of manufacturing that the company is

building an expansion so it can add four more

Arcam machines.

Historically, DiSanto has been a machin-

ing business. About 55 CNC machine tools run

at its Shelton, Conn., site. Dunn says additive

manufacturing will expand the use of these

machines. Thats because practically every ad-

ditively produced medical part needs machining

of critical features as a secondary step, he says.

Plus, many implants produced additively need

complementary machined components that are

part of the surgery.

However, additive manufacturing will also

change which parts the company machines,

Dunn says. Certain components being machined

today will be produced additively instead, after

they are redesigned into more functional forms

that can only be produced through additive

manufacturing.

The spinal cage is an example. DiSanto has

long made these cages through machining, and

continues to do so, but company engineers saw

how additive manufacturing could create a better

design. The company produced the prototype at

its own expense so it could pitch the idea to cus-

tomers. Going forward, Dunn expects to win work

for additive manufacturing by taking this same

initiative with other parts that are currently made

through machining. The companys machine shop

has thus become its prospecting feld.

Supplier Challenges

The partnership with Arcam works this way,

says Dunn: The additive machine maker gives

DiSanto a measure of exclusivity in pioneering

the market in the United States for manufactur-

ing implants through EBM. Meanwhile, Arcam

gets DiSantos commitment to the technology.

From Arcams perspective, DiSanto is the ideal

size, Dunn says. His company is big enough to

be a player in implant manufacturing, but small

enough that it was willing to reinvent itself in

pursuit of the promise of additive production.

The opportunity to make this change came

at the right time. DiSanto was facing challenges

Historically, this parts porous bone-integration

surface has been produced through plasma

spray, generating an imprecise outer form.

EBM makes it possible to print the bone

integration layer directly into the form,

precisely controlling the geometry.

This might be a picture of the future of batch production.

This collection of hip stems was produced in a single additive

manufacturing cycle. Not only were many pieces nested into

this build, but various sizes are seen here as well. In the past,

each of the different part numbers would have required its

own forging die.


6 AM Supplement

F E A T U R E

are considerable. Owing to

the need for forging tooling,

a newly designed hip stem

in the past would have

required a lead time of at

least eight weeks, but with

additive manufacturing, that

same newly designed hip

stem can be manufactured

within 48 hours.

Effciencies such as

these are suffcient to justify

additive production, Dunn

says. However, these sav-

ings are just the beginning.

The still-greater beneft to

DiSantos customers is the

design freedom additive

manufacturing gives them.

They can now design their

own precisely controlled

bone integration geometry

instead of just accepting

the random surface ge-

ometry of a plasma spray.

This is huge. Then there is

the most important beneft

of all: An additive-manu-

factured implant is likely to

function better within the

patients body.

The reason for this also

relates to dimensional con-

trol. Plasma spray is such

an imprecise process that

bone reamers in surgery

are oversized because of it,

Dunn explains. The reamer

produces an oversized

cavity in the bone to accommodate the uncertain

dimensions of the sprayed part. By contrast, with

additive manufacturing providing control over

geometry, the reamer can now be right-sized.

The implant can therefore press-ft into the bone.

Surface contact between implant and bone is ex-

tensive, rather than merely occurring at a few high

Here is the perfect

example of a part that

could only be produced

through additive manu-

facturing. This hollow

titanium sphere has a wall

thickness of 1 mm. Ronald

Dunn demonstrates the strength

of this structure by standing on it.

with multiple suppliers that additive

manufacturing neatly addressed. One

involved the porous surface for bone

integration on implants. Historically,

this surface has been added through

plasma spray coating. DiSantos

source for that coating had recently

been purchased by a competitor.

Meanwhile, DiSantos supplier

for castings had begun to demand

aggressive 15-day payment terms.

Manufacturing is all about cash fow,

Dunn says.

Additive manufacturing provided

welcome relief in both situations. The

additive process makes plasma spray

unnecessary, because the 3D printed

part can have the porous layer just

printed into the design. Also, additive

manufacturing makes casting un-

necessary, since this part-generating

technology is essentially a foundry in

a box.

Dunn says, They say additive

manufacturing machines are ex-

pensive, but I dont see

it. The cost of these

machines is easy

for us to balance

against the

supplier-related

costs we no

longer have to

pay.

The su-

preme example

of this might be the

elimination of forgings. An

implanted titanium hip stem might come

in 20 different sizes, requiring 20 different forging

tools at more than $7,000 per tool. With additive

manufacturing, all of that tooling expense is gone.

In fact, representatives of the 20 different part

numbers can all be built within the same cycle,

as needed, simply by nesting the different parts

within a single EBM build. The time savings in this



points of the spray. As a result, the bone integrates

with the implant that much more quickly.

Machining Changes

The savings in CNC machining are also signifcant,

Dunn says. While its true that an EBM surgical

implant almost always needs machining, that

machining is slight because the part is near-net-

shapemuch nearer to net shape than casting or

forging. As a result, all of the machining passes on

an additive part are inherently fnishing cuts. The

costs related to roughingincluding time, material

and toolingno longer have to be paid.

In addition, this fnish machining tends to con-

sist of relatively simple cuts. A part such as a hip

stem has historically been produced through com-

plex fve-axis machining, but Dunn says he expects

DiSanto to rely on fve-axis machining much less

in the future. Geometrically complex features can

be produced more easily through EBM, he says,

and additive manufacturing can also be used to

give the part extra features that make the remaining

machining easy. The hip stem might be generated

with a boss for a vise to hold during milling, for

example, with this sacrifcial feature cut away when

machining is done.

Yet in spite of these savings, the machining

activity at DiSanto is likely to grow with additive

manufacturing, he says. The reason is not just be-

cause additive parts need to be machined, but also

because they create the need for other machined

parts. An aspect of DiSantos machining activity

that might be surprising to an outsider is the extent

to which the shop machines plastic. Implants such

as hip stems and knees are metal, but implants

often come with plastic components that are part of

the implants operation. Knee implants, for exam-

ple, come with plastic liners that essentially serve

as cartilage. Through various workholding and

toolpath techniques, DiSanto has become prof-

cient at quickly producing these non-metal parts.

As additive manufacturing expands the number

and variety of metal implants DiSanto produces,

Dunn expects his company to have even more op-

portunity to apply its expertise at machining these

related plastic components.

DiSanto has two Arcam additive manufacturing machines. They

run so quietly and unobtrusively that the company currently has

them in a space that used to be an offce.

The company has about 55 CNC machines in-house. With

the advance of additive manufacturing, the role of CNC

machining will change, the company says. Some machined

parts will be produced additively instead. However, because

of the machining needs of additive parts, and because of

the need for complementary machined components, machin-

ing activity is likely to increase.


8 AM Supplement

F E A T U R E By Christina Fuges

Practicality & PossIbIlIty

8 AM Supplement

Functional Components

from Plastic Droplets

The essential aspect of the machine and part pictured here is

that it is possible to produce one-off plastic parts and small-

volume batches from 3D CAD fles using standard granulate

and without requiring a mold. Arburgs AKF plastic freeforming

process produces functional components directly from plastic

droplets. This fexible part is an example of a two-component

application using a combination of hard and soft materials

polyamide (PA) and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE).

The part was produced without using support structures.

It was made from conventional, low-cost standard granulates

instead of resins, powders, strips or otherwise pre-assem-

bled materials. The produced part is not a prototype, but a

fully functional, high-quality component.

In the AKF process, the machine is flled with the standard

plastic granulate, a heated plasticizing cylinder melts the

plastic in the discharge unit, a nozzle closure uses fast open-

ing and closing movements to produce the plastic droplets

under pressure, and the part is additively built up.


AdditiveManufacturingInsight.com February 2014 9 AdditiveManufacturingInsight.com February 2014 9

Molds and Cores Built in Days without Tooling

This photo shows a diesel engine cylinder head, along with part of the sand mold

and some of the sand cores that were required to cast it. This sand mold and the

cores were created using a 3D printing process developed by Voxeljet.

According to Tom Mueller, principal of Thomas J. Mueller and Associates,

casting such a cylinder head requires several tools, including patterns for the

cope and drag (the top and bottom parts of the sand mold), and a number of

core boxes (molds used to create sand cores that will form undercut features

in the head). This process can take thousands of dollars and several weeks

to complete. Castings with complex fow situations, like cylinder heads and

pumps, often can only be optimized by an iterative design-build-test-redesign

process, he says. However, the cost and time required to create the tooling for

each design iteration makes the process very costly and time consuming.

With the Voxeljet process, molds and cores can be built without tooling in a

few days, making this iterative process more cost- and time-effective. In fact,

a designer can now simultaneously evaluate several design alternatives to

further cut the time required to optimize the design, Mueller says.

The possibilities for additive manufacturing have been growing at a fast pace

and, according to one technology player, the industry is now focused on bring-

ing the buzz down to practicality. The Euromold trade fair in Germany last

December offered an array of unique and exciting AM displays, but the real story

was the actual technologies and applications for the manufacture of functional

parts, including end-use components and industrial tooling. On the following

pages is a sampling of what we saw at this show.

Cost-Effective Casting

ExOnes largest additive manufacturing

machines print parts in sand for use in metal

casting. Making casting mold components

directly in sand, without any need for a pattern

or core box, enables not only more cost-effec-

tive casting as the caption at left describes,

but also casting of complex geometries that

would not have been practical or even pos-

sible with conventional casting molds. The

sand-printed part above is an example of an

intricate, core-like component that was easy

to produce through 3D printing.

0214AM_Feature 2.indd 9 1/20/14 2:42 PM

10 AM Supplement

F E A T U R E

10 AM Supplement

Machining Hidden Features

DMG Moris Lasertech 65 hybrid solution can do rough

machining, deposition and fnishing on one machine, allowing

a part such as the one pictured here to be built and machined

with fve axes. The additive features grown off of the central

OD show the machines ability to reorient the part to build

in different directions within the cycle. The drilled holes and

milled mating surfaces were created using the machines

conventional machining capability.

Parts such as this can be built as much as 20 times faster

than with powder bed solutions, DMG Mori says. Parts can

also be built up in sections, with

milling operations used on important

areas in between. Support structures

are not necessary, and wall thick-

ness can range from 0.5 to 5 mm

(0.020 to 0.2 inch).

Dr. Greg Hyatt, DMG Moris chief

technology offcer, explains that

an advantage of this process is that

it can be used to build up a number

of layers, of the same or various

alloys, which can then be machined

to the required accuracy before the

next layers are added. These part areas would not normally

be accessible for milling cutters, meaning hidden features can

now be machined.

Material Savings

A new SLS platform from 3D Systems was used to produce

the pump part shown here without tooling. This process is

designed to generate a lot of parts fast while producing

only about 20 percent material waste.

Of note is the pumps complex shape, which

would typically require long lead times if tooling

were needed, but no tooling was required. This

part is strong enough to use directly in the feld on

a machine or an engine, according to the company.

The ProX 500 3D printer used to produce this

part builds on the companys patented SLS

technology and, together with its newly developed

DuraForm ProX materials, can deliver end-use-ready

thermoplastic parts more quickly and more accurately

than previous 3D printers.



High-Density, Non-Porous,

Chemically Pure Metal Parts

Direct metal sintering (DMS) technology allows the accurate,

direct printing of high-density, non-porous, chemically pure

metal parts (such as this one printed by 3D Systems), yielding

high repeatability, reliability and quality.

Metal end-use parts and tooling inserts can be directly

and quickly created via this process, cutting out intermediate

and time-consuming steps required in traditional manufactur-

ing. This includes complex parts and shapes that would be

nearly impossible to produce using traditional methods. In

addition, direct-metal-sintered tooling can be used in the pro-

duction process within a day or two after manufacture, rather

than after waiting weeks for the tooling to be machined.

A selection of materials can be used in DMS systems,

including stainless steel, tool steel, super alloys, non-ferrous

alloys, precious metals and alumina used in the aerospace,

automotive and medical device industries.


Digital Molding Factory

A digital molding system from Stratasys closes the gap between rapid prototyping and alu-

minum/steel tooling. It gives engineers the option to perform required regulatory and safety

tests on the actual product earlier in the process, validating the design and moving forward

to production.

Approximately 60 toy race cars like the one shown above were made by injecting

polypropylene (PP) into the small mold pictured here, which was printed from digital ABS

material in an Objet Connex260 printer. This run provided a sense of the design, including the

snap fts that connect the car body to the wheels, which were formed in a separate mold.

Printing the mold for the car body took about six hours, and it cost less than $1,000.


12 AM Supplement

F E A T U R E

12 AM Supplement

Two Separate Functional Parts,

One Design

An oil separator and cooler that traditionally function as two

separate parts were produced as three components in a direct

metal laser sintering (DMLS) platform from EOS, then welded

into a single part measuring 450 260 180 mm (17.7

10.3 7.1 inches). This was later reproduced in one piece, as

a concept design, using the companys new EOSINT M 400

modular, extendable DMLS system above.

This part was built from EOSs Aluminum AlSi10Mg alloy for

a Rennteam Uni Stuttgart racing car. The upper section of the

oil separator/cooler uses centrifugal force to deposit oil from air

(its rough surface enhances this effect), and the lower portion

serves as the oil tank, offering maximized surface area for cool-

ing. The original part was used in a formula-student racing car

and proved to have great performance characteristics, EOS says.

With a build chamber measuring 400 400 400 mm

(15.8 15.8 15.8 inches), the EOS M 400 enables the

automated manufacture of high-quality large metal parts. The

system consists of a setup station separate from the build

area with an automated system in between that clears loose

powder from completed parts.

Use of DMLS is said to have contributed to a reduction

in the oil separators size and weight. A highlight of the

new system is that it separates job preparation and cal-

culation from the building process, enabling the job fle to

be prepared at the designers desk and then transmitted

via a network to the machine. In this way, the machine

focuses solely on building the parts.


AdditiveManufacturingInsight.com February 2014 13 AdditiveManufacturingInsight.com February 2014 13

LMD Toughens Automotive Dies

Laser metal deposition (LMD) can increase automotive die

life and reduce setup times. That is what researchers at the

Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, toolmaker

Mhlhoff Um-formtechnik GmbH and other Green Carbody

Technologies Innovation Alliance (InnoCaT) partners set out

to prove during Euromold with their new universal,

reproducible, industrial-use LMD process.

During LMD, a laser beam carefully melts the surface of

the die and the fller material to produce a local layer that

guards against wear on the die surface. This treatment,

which is completed in fractions of a second, is designed to

increase the robustness and resilience of the stainless steel

die at critical points.

The group rebuilt a conventional fve-axis milling machine

(pictured here)which can be installed within the current

manufacturing processfor the automated LMD of forming

dies. According to Fraunhofer, this processes increases the

lifetime of dies by more than 150 percent, improves the

quality of components and makes it possible to plan setup

times with greater precision.

Another key part of the LMD system is integrated software

that enables the laser surface treatment processes to be

controlled in a clear, reproducible way. All necessary process

parameters are transmitted to the machine without the need

for any interface. Processes can be simulated in detail and

optimized in advance of actual processing operations.

Mold with Eight Complex,

Conformal Cooling Channels

via Laser Melting

The conformal temperature control arrangement

pictured here requires complicated design workeight

outlets of 3 mm (0.12 inch) in diameter and practically

identical fow conditions branching out from a 10-mm

(0.40-inch) inlet. According to Renishaw and LBC

Engineering, this design guarantees uniform, highly

turbulent coolant fow and effcient heat transport in

each channel. These inserts were laser-generated on

a Renishaw machine with a 0.5-mm (0.02-inch) margin

per wall. Conventionally made inserts cannot usually

be pre-worked in such detail before hardening, so this

means reduced hardening work for cost savings that

partly offsets the cost of the laser melting process.


Product News

14 AM Supplement

Stratasys has introduced a nylon material designed to offer greater resistance to breakage

and better impact strength than other fused deposition modeling (FDM) materials. Specifcally

engineered for the companys line of Fortus 3D production systems, FDM Nylon 12s elon-

gation-at-break specifcation is said to surpass that of other 3D-printed nylon 12 materials

by as much as 100 percent. This can enable manufacturers in aerospace, automotive, home

appliance and consumer electronics industries to create durable parts that can stand up to

high vibration, repetitive stress or fatigue.

FDM Nylon 12 is available for the Fortus 360, 400 and 900 systems. It is initially being

offered in black and is paired with SR110, a new soluble support material that the company

says is optimized for the nylon material.

stratasys.com

Ultrasonic AM Machine Welds

Metals into 3D Parts

The SonicLayer 4000 from Fabrisonic LLC features the

companys patented ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM)

technology, which uses sound to weld together metals into

solid three-dimensional shapes.

Because this process uses solid state welding, it lends

itself to welding dissimilar metals, including aluminum, copper,

stainless steel and titanium. And, unlike a metal fusion process,

UAM avoids brittle inter-metallics that form during the com-

bination of two or more metals, the company says. Periodic

machining operations help create further details on UAM-built

objects, including deep slots; hollow, latticed or honeycombed

internal structures; and other complex geometries.

The SonicLayer 4000 features a 9-kW welding head for

additively manufacturing the solid metal parts and a three-axis

CNC mill with a 25-hp, 8,000-rpm spindle for machining

them. The 4000R model also offers a fourth axis that rotates

underneath the traditional three-axis motion system. This

additional axis positions a cylindrical part under the welding

system and enables 3D printing of metal features on the OD of

a shaft, cylinder or pipe.

fabrisonic.com

Nylon FDM Material Offers Greater Strength

Large-Format

Printer Uses

Photocure

Technology

EnvisionTECs Xede

3SP large-format 3D printer uses the compa-

nys scan, spin and selectively photocure (3SP)

technology to quickly produce accurate parts from

STL fles, regardless of geometric complexity.

According to the company, the surface quality of

the printed parts shows no signs of stairstepping

on the inner and outer surfaces.

The machine had been part of the companys

Perfactory family of 3D printers that use digital

light processing (DLP) technology. The new 3SP

approach, which allows for larger build sizes,

employs a multi-cavity laser diode with an orthog-

onal mirror spinning at 20,000 rpm. It can be

used to produce everything from concept models

to functional parts with minimal material waste.

envisiontec.com

0214AM_Products.indd 14 1/16/2014 3:06:11 PM

An Outlook for Additive in 2014:

A Participants Perspective


By Tim Shinbara, Technology Director, AMTTe Association For Manufacturing Technology

[email protected]

Looking back at 2013, it should be known as the Year

of the Printer. Advancements and accelerations in

both funding and media exposure broadened the

audience from boutique fabrication frms and defense

special programs to garage hobbyists, universities,

Fortune 50 companies and small-to-medium enter-

prises. What does this mean for 2014? Is there critical

mass to further accelerate or sustain these eforts?

By following America Makes (the National Additive

Manufacturing Innovation Institute [NAMII]),

fnancial markets (from initial public oferings to

quarterly earnings) and industrial leaders like General

Electric, the answer to the frst question may entail

tangible data points, such as increases in supply chain

partners, approvals of new standards and qualif-

cations, and exposure to advancements in novel

materials and additive processes.

It may be a bit too early to evaluate critical mass

for two main reasons. First, 2013 included such an

explosion of activities that such eforts may still be in

forming stages, whereas 2014 may be the realization

stage. Second, while additive manufacturing provides

many non-traditional benefts, most of these are held

captive to very traditional ways of thinking. In other

words, the industrial world may not be pervasively

ready yet.

For 2014, there will be continued basic research in

our national and university laboratories to explore

the potential viability of new functional materials,

process monitoring and equipment integration.

Expect another round of funding for America Makes

projects, which fll technical and transition gap activ-

ities, and, more than likely, additional mergers and

acquisitions within the industrial sector.

0214AM_AMT.indd 15 1/16/2014 3:06:57 PM

16 AM Supplement

Article continued

from page 15.

Tere are frms that continue to increase brick-and-

mortar resources, technical capability and know-how

in order to better meet dynamic customer require-

ments. It will be interesting to see how the startups

in this industry defne their diferentiation. An area of

increasing interest seems to be in catering to locali-

ties and afnity groupsexploiting the low-volume,

customization enablers of additive manufacturing.

While many government programs, and the private

sector for that matter, have historically performed

in silos, there seems to be an interesting phenom-

enon lately to share data publically. Whether it is a

private-public partnership, such as America Makes, or

an efort funded by the Defense Advanced Research

Projects Agency (DARPA), like the Open Manufac-

turing program, there are more public forums to

present and share outcomes than ever before.

Tis better enables the diligent to connect strategic

dots, create value to advance the state of the art and

not reinvent the wheel, as well as brings more diversi-

fed backgrounds to the productivity table. Advance-

ments will continue in additive manufacturing in

the arena of optimization for material selection for

product requirements, process parameter mapping

to as-designed properties, and improved equipment

calibration and reliability.

Should the maker communityMaker Faire, DIY

and educational outletscontinue their entre-

preneurial march forward, look to fnd more local

manufacturing and creativity incubators manifesting

organically, as they have at MITs Fab Lab network and

Ideaspace. Common attributes for success include

agility and latitude in creativity, and, quite frankly,

those who realize ideas seem more adept than most.

To that end, the maker movement is a compliment,

if not a necessary element, in advancing the state of

additive manufacturing, not only in the United States

but in the global market as well. When this is coupled

with mentorship resources found in competitive

programs like the FIRST Robotics Competition, a new

innovation landscape begins to emerge.

Te additive manufacturing perspective looks contin-

uously challenging and promising for 2014, where the

world may be literally what you make of it!

ResouRces:

America Makes, americamakes.us

General Electric, ge.com/stories/

additive-manufacturing

DARPA, darpa.mil

Maker Faire, makerfaire.com

MIT Fab Lab, fab.cba.mit.edu

Ideaspace, ideaspacedc.com

FIRST Robotics Competition, usfrst.org/

roboticsprograms/frc

0214AM_AMT.indd 16 1/16/2014 3:07:10 PM

Hosted by three major trade associatons, The MFG Meetng

brings together the complete chain of manufacturing to discuss

the current and future state of the industry. With a dual focus on

nding solutons to business challenges and networking with

peers, The MFG Meetng helps industry leaders plan for the

future and make connectons today.

Register today.

Gold Sponsors

0114 MFG Meeting.indd 1 12/5/13 1:31 PM

Come together.

Leave your mark.

COME

TOGETHER.

LEAVE

SMARTER.

regIStratIoN oPeNS FeBruary 3, 2014 ImtS.Com

Where else can you meet the minds that are moving manufacturing

forward? Nowhere but IMTS 2014. With a focus on success through

cooperation, the week will be flled with technology, education, and

ideas that we can all beneft from. Join us at McCormick Place Chicago,

September 813, 2014. Learn more at IMTS.com.

Chad CrISoStomo

Technical Product Manager

FARO Technologies

yearS atteNdINg ImtS

6

goaL For ImtS 2014

Im looking to seek out new, innovative

products and processes in manufacturing

that challenge the status quo. While attending,

I hope to network with other like-minded

individuals. Its not often that you get the

opportunity to be in the same place with so

many industry colleagues.

0214 IMTS.indd 1 1/14/14 8:50 AM

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