Additive manufacturing education, upskilling needed

Essentium Inc. has released findings from independent global research on the current and future use of industrial 3D printing. Findings show that even as the industry moves toward large-scale additive manufacturing (AM), 28% of manufacturers reported their personnel lacked AM skills.

The survey highlighted continued optimism among manufacturing executives in the potential of industrial-scale 3D printing to save billions in manufacturing costs (90% agree), drive competitive advantage (84% agree), and economic advantage (85% agree).

However, realizing this vision requires change and development throughout the workforce. The most imperative organizational change cited was designers’ expertise (55%), followed by a mindset shift among production teams (44%), and evolving procurement strategies (38%).

Almost one-third of respondents (29%) said they wanted their finance teams to develop a deeper understanding of AM’s cost and value implications, while 26% said it was important to re-educate procurement teams on buying materials for 3D printing rather than focusing on component assets.

As AM increases globally, Essentium is supporting industry partners, customers, and academia to grow a skilled workforce through targeted education and training. This includes enabling engineering designers to design for AM by adopting new principles to optimize a part’s functionality while reducing material, time, and cost. Essentium also supports customers by providing education around procurement and finance strategies and how AM will impact the supply chain. https://www.essentium.com