The one-of-a-kind Munich Tech Conference (MTC) offered the VELO3D team an excellent chance to participate in the advancement of the discussion around additive manufacturing (AM). The vision, shared by leaders including Oerlikon and its chairman Prof. Michael Süß, centers around a strong belief that AM is a game-changer for generations to come and that this unique technology transition creates opportunities for all. They share the fundamental belief that, in order to take additive manufacturing mainstream, an ecosystem approach is needed. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary to revolutionize how we see manufacturing in the system, incorporating important aspects of innovation, networking, and standardization.
In the opening session, David Joyce, the CEO of GE Aviation, and Dr. Jan M. Mrosik, CEO of the Digital Factory Division of Siemens, agreed that all leaders in industry will participate in the next stage of advanced industrialization, and all will contribute in different ways. Sustaining differentiation for these industry leaders will be design competence.
Among the nearly 600 attendees of the event was a great representation of all major equipment, software, and material providers, as well as leading OEMs. All stand to differentiate themselves in Industry 4.0, as representatives from companies such as GE Aviation, Siemens, Volkswagen, BMW, Stryker, Johnson & Johnson, BASF, and Oerlikon discussed. Aerospace, automotive, medical devices, materials, and services companies alike contributed to the conversation around industrialization as C-level executives across industries combined with some of the brightest minds in technology, enabling a unique exchange of ideas that is unprecedented and serves as a unique example of cross-disciplinary cooperation.
The attendees agreed that in order to take AM mainstream, significant advancements need to be made across the ecosystem with the focus on industrialization of additive manufacturing.
Industrialization in this context means taking AM from prototyping to serial production. This move, a major focus for our team and for the greater AM industry, is multi-faceted. Like the discussions at the MTC Show, this advance requires different contributions from many different disciplines. Industrialization of AM means going back to examine and rethink every step in designing and producing a part and adjusting the workflow to accommodate and leverage additive manufacturing. This is not a task for a single person or a single company: this is a monumental effort that will change our world forever.
AM industrialization means that everything will evolve: the design approach, the manufacturing technologies, the value chain, the materials, the manufacturing workflow, the education, and more.
Throughout the event, multiple aspects were examined in panel discussions as well as in subsequent workshop environments. Barriers were openly brought up and solutions brainstormed. Attendees, AM veterans and newcomers alike, were energetic in tackling these existing challenges and exploring new opportunities and approaches. Breaks in these sessions allowed for networking and deepening of relationships, building the trust to continue the momentum once everyone had returned home.
This journey to advance manufacturing technology for generations to come is very exciting. VELO3D is founded upon the premise of taking metal AM mainstream, to create value to customer’s product development, and, ultimately, to advance the world of manufacturing.
We invest heavily towards this objective and have assembled a world-class multidisciplinary team focused on materials science, computation, simulation, semiconductor equipment, process development, and much more. We focus intensely on addressing key challenges of AM technology adoption, broadening the design envelope to inspire new applications to take advantage of AM: accelerating the product development to shorten time-to-market with fewer iterations, to simplify the overall workflow from design to part in a predictable way working closely with technology partners, and finally taking quality control to another level, ensuring superior part-to-part consistency.
What a great time to be part of this journey to the future of manufacturing!
Our sincere thanks go to the organizers of the MTC for an informative, interactive, and thought-provoking experience. It is so unique to see leaders across an entire industry come together like this
