Q&A: What's new in additive technology?

PJ: Advanced 3D printing is accelerating the shift to digital manufacturing as customers make significant strides on their journey to mass production. And the industry is embracing a new design mindset, as entire organisations realise time, quality and economic advantages. It’s about changing how the world designs for manufacturing.

ST: The most exciting developments right now are in additive materials. The key to better and more reliable additive parts is not just from improvements in the technologies themselves, but in materials that really correspond to the needs of manufacturers for end-use part production. This trend has been occurring rapidly for a few years now and you can see 3D printed parts that really hit the mark in terms of toughness, rigidity, and extended use. New materials that stand up to high heat and extreme environments are maturing rapidly, making additive a reality for yet more production-grade parts.

AB:Perhaps one of the most interesting trends is the impact of additive manufacturing on supply chain issues. We’ve seen more and more companies turn to additive manufacturing because it offers true ‘on-demand’ production, close to the point of consumption. For manufacturers, this is a game-changer, with missing or broken parts produced in only a few hours. In aerospace, this can overhaul the traditional maintenance, repair and operations supply chain. Our customer Airbus is a great example. To meet the production delivery deadlines of its A350 XWB aircraft, the company leveraged our FDM technology to manufacture over 1000 parts that are flying today.