TECH & AI
a technology that has long been touted as a disruptive game changer for supply chains be said to have truly come of age ?”
His answer ? When it ’ s a multi-billiondollar industry – which AM is ; a $ 14.7bn industry , to be precise , that boasts a 22 % annual growth rate .
“ Forty years after the development of the first commercial 3D-printing machines , the sector is extremely dynamic , with more than 200 players competing to develop new hardware , software , and materials ,” says Bromberger .
AM , he says , can produce products that are beyond traditional manufacturing methods . Those already widely using the technology include manufacturers of consumer and industrial goods , the defence and aerospace industries , automotive companies , component suppliers and the healthcare and dental industries .
Innovation driving improvements in AM tech Rapid innovation , according to Bromberger , is driving major improvements in the performance of AM technologies : “ The latest generations of AM machines allow for the creation of stronger parts by controlling the alignment of fibre reinforcements using magnetic fields .
“ Plus , the range of materials available for AM systems continues to expand , now including high-strength aluminium alloys and medical-grade polymers .”
AM systems are getting faster , too , with Bromberger citing improvements to software and post-processing technologies “ that are further streamlining the end-to-end journey from concept to finished component ”.
Disruption of any sort comes when advances in technology meet mass demand for that technology – and AM is now approaching this point .
116 January 2023