Additive Manufacturing: Mastering the Transition into Serial Manufacturing

Conference Abstract: The additive manufacturing landscape is undergoing a fundamental disruption. On one hand we are observing a phase of increased consolidation of players along the value chain: The years of 30+% year-over-year growth is over, and we are predicting more sustainable growth rates in the years to come.

On the other hand, we are witnessing an increasing technical readiness of additive manufacturing technologies: In recent years, we have seen strong technological advancements in additive manufacturing. Manufacturing companies can now build on the technology to create parts for serial manufacturing. The future of 3D printing will be driven by manufacturing applications and the ability of the market player to turn to profitability.

This presentation will reflect on the transformatory challenges of the shift from prototyping to manufacturing 3D printing use cases and how to master this transition to the benefit of operations. We will discuss what will be possible in AM in the near to mid-term future and where we will see a performance peak of the technology. Moreover, we will discuss what organizational enablers must be put in place to integrate the AM production shop seamlessly into the factory routines and setups of manufacturing companies.

Participants will take away four things:
1. Participants will be able to describe the current state of the 3D Printing market in terms of size and development along the entire additive manufacturing value chain and its consolidation trends
2. Participants will be able to describe the transformatory challenges that come along with a shift from prototyping to manufacturing use cases in 3D printing
3. Participants will learn about potential performance peaks of the AM technologies and where the technologies will evolve to support this manufacturing transition
4. Participants will understand how AM production can be seamlessly integrated into the factory context of manufacturers