Oops, there it goes—another opportunity to capitalise on additive manufacturing (AM) just passed by you.
Didn’t see it? That’s because you didn’t know what to look for. Saw it but didn’t react? That’s because you were ill-equipped to deploy AM when it was needed. Recognised it but didn’t act? That’s because you allowed status quo to obscure the opportunity.
This scenario plays out every day, even for run-of-the-mill applications like prototyping and even within companies that are on top of their AM games. As AM for production makes further inroads and becomes increasingly viable, history will repeat itself unless you begin to prepare for that inevitability.
For AM production, and other applications, you must be prepared to pounce.
AM is not a drop-in solution that fits neatly within the traditional considerations for design and manufacturing. Integration into current operations is a long journey. Taking full control of AM and acquiring the needed intelligence to do so is longer still. Insights into technical, operational and financial matters, in advance of deployment, are required to enable your company to act when the time is right.
To do nothing in advance—to ignore AM in the present—is a complacent approach that will put you behind the competition. Most can’t, or don’t need to, deploy AM for production today; the vast majority have yet to do this. However, all should be, at a minimum, considering the possibilities and requirements. Inaction will leave you behind or place you in the undesirable position of needing to rapidly catch up to those that invested their resources in advance.
To be prepared to pounce requires a deep understanding of AM that is converted into a plan of attack. The plan does not need to be perfect—it will evolve—but it must be informed. Investigation begins with a clear understanding of the potential value that AM offers. This will extend beyond incremental gains versus traditional technologies and beyond the platitudes expressed from the stage and in print. A deep, broad understanding of AM’s effect and impact will lead to strong business cases that have merit and hold promise. Having a strong sense of direction and justifiable use cases will arm you with the rationale for pouncing.
Next, you will need to understand how to pounce. Preparatory research of the AM technology landscape will identify possible candidates and reveal their associated advantages and limitations. This understanding is as much about capitalising on unique capabilities as uncovering perceived deficiencies. For the things that an AM technology does not do well, the insight supports planning for how to mitigate the challenges and obstacles. AM technology investigation will also reveal the complete workflow, from raw data to finished goods.
An understanding of the workflow will then lead to infrastructure requirements, which are rarely discussed but often significant, unseen stumbling blocks. Discovering that you are operationally lacking after initiating AM activities will delay your ability to pounce by months, maybe years. Your understanding of the needed infrastructure will span equipment, facilities and processes. It will also include human resources in terms of staffing required and skills needed. Convert the infrastructure understanding into a plan, and you are now prepared to pounce.
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Exhibit at the UK's definitive and most influential 3D printing and additive manufacturing event, TCT 3Sixty.
There is a lot to learn and more to discover to prepare for future AM applications. Taking this work on before the need arises or the opportunities reveal themselves is an investment in your future. Don’t wait and don’t fall into the trap of complacency. For if you do, you will be saying ‘Oops, there it goes’ over and over.
