Colleen Wivell Director
Medical Sales–North America, Materialise SME Member Since 2001
SME SPEAKS GUEST EDITORIAL 3D Printing: A Change Agent for Manufacturing I
t’s not often you get the opportunity to witness rapid, life-impacting change, but for those of us who have been in the 3D printing industry over the last few decades, we have witnessed just that. In the last 20-plus years, 3D print- ing has changed the defi nition of manufacturing from merely “one-size-fi ts-all” to “customized” production and from “high-volume” to “high-complexity/low-volume”—a startling paradigm shift that has enabled many new applications for the manufacturing industry.
I was fortunate to join the 3D printing industry in its in-
fancy, through an innovative Belgian company called Materi- alise. Back then, 3D printing was referred to as rapid pro- totyping, and I had to explain what it meant to most people I met. I would tell them that “3D printing is the process of building a part or assembly by adding layer after layer of a chosen material until it’s completed. Unlike traditional manufacturing, very little human intervention is required during the actual manufacturing process. Highly complex, organic shapes can be formed, and even assemblies can be made in one go.” People were always intrigued, but often the curiosity stopped there. Today, 3D printing has made it to the mainstream in the media, and I rarely meet people who have not heard of it, but there is still a vibe that it’s just hype or futuristic. If you look to healthcare alone, the progress is inspiring. For example, when I walk into our production facility, I see so many examples of 3D printing hard at work: I see a model of a child’s skull being shipped together with surgical cut- ting guides to assist the surgeon in driving better outcomes and restoring the lives of a whole family. I know that the knee guides and bone models that ship from our produc- tion facility will ultimately aid in a surgery that can help someone get back to chasing their grandkids. In Europe, when I see a 3D-printed custom hip implant that will allow
a patient to go from wheel chair to walking shoes, it brings me joy. I know that customized manufacturing/3D print- ing is really changing people’s lives in a way that traditional manufacturing never could. Our biomedical engineers work on these cases everyday with surgeons and medical teams around the globe, all in the interest of making for a better and healthier world.
Beyond the work at Materialise, I’m truly inspired by the innovation going on at so many of our customers’ loca- tions. As the backbone of the 3D printing industry, Ma- terialise enables thousands of manufacturers around the world to make their own paradigm changing contributions to their industry. Their innovations can change the face of their industry, like how GE is revolutionizing the aero- space industry with the LEAP fuel nozzle for its jet engines. Through 3D printing, it can save millions of dollars by reduc- ing 20 parts to 1. This innovation makes the end part fi ve times stronger and 25% lighter—amazing. Another great example is how the University of Michigan is saving lives by developing a patient-specifi c splint, which goes on the outside of a baby’s airway to allow them to breathe again. This 3D-printed device bio-resorbs as the child’s condition resolves—simple, yet incredible. I’ve heard people call 3D printing the future of manufac- turing, but what they don’t realize is that future is happening now. It’s happening in my offi ce and around the globe. From top companies like GE and J&J to major hospitals (Mayo Clinic) and top universities (Wake Forest) down to brand new startups and small colleges, people are innovating their prod- ucts and services in countless ways, and you can too. The best place to get answers and see this life-changing manufacturing technique in action is at RAPID + TCT (May 8-11 in Pittsburgh). There, you can join thousands of people seeking to change lives through this innovative technology. If
April 2017 |
AdvancedManufacturing.org 15
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116
