Are you adopting this solution as a painkiller or as a vitamin…?”
This was an analogy I heard a while back at a conference discussing Computer Aided Design software – I believe it was delivered by Donnie Gladfelter in a session he led at Autodesk University in 2024. It was an analogy that resonated with me because I could see immediately that it was just as relevant to the area of additive manufacturing (AM) adoption.
So what do I think the “painkiller” or “vitamin” analogy means in the context of AM?
A lot of AM adoption that I see in my work is as a painkiller. Often, just like in normal life, it can be a measure taken once nothing else has worked and sometimes it can be taken very reluctantly. However, AM as a painkiller can be a versatile antidote to many different pains, such as supply chain issues, excessive lead times, obsolescence etc.
