Automation Alley in Troy Releases Latest Additive Manufacturing Playbook

Automation Alley in Troy has posted its latest Integr8 Playbook, covering how 3-D printing will change manufacturing. It was created by Tom Kelly, CEO of Automation Alley, in collaboration with Patrick Kwon, professor of mechanical engineering at Michigan State University in East Lansing.
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Automation Alley 3-D printer
Automation Alley’s latest Integr8 Playbook looks at additive manufacturing, or 3-D printing, and how it will become more important in the next few years. // Stock photo

Automation Alley in Troy has posted its latest Integr8 Playbook, covering how 3-D printing will change manufacturing. It was created by Tom Kelly, CEO of Automation Alley, in collaboration with Patrick Kwon, professor of mechanical engineering at Michigan State University in East Lansing.

According to the playbook, additive manufacturing (AM) will be “the vanguard of change in manufacturing, a lynchpin of technological advancement, a force in sustainability, and a herald of change in manufacturing philosophy.”

Furthermore, 3-D printing’s ability to be more precise and rapidly customizable than traditional machining should ensure its status as more than a trend, but an enduring force in the production landscape of tomorrow.

Automation Alley believes integrating 3-D printer applications is imperative for all manufacturers to stay competitive in the future, says Kelly. That’s why the organization is working to be a pioneer in additive manufacturing with its Project DIAMOnD initiative, in partnership with Oakland County, creating the largest additive manufacturing network in the U.S.

Kelly says to call additive manufacturing disruptive is an understatement. Building the additive manufacturing future marks the end in dominance of rigid and inflexible traditional assembly lines, a paradigm that still exists today more than 100 years since its popularization.

Paired with generative design AI, additive manufacturing already has demonstrated its prowess compared to traditional means in the aerospace, automotive, and medical industries.

SME in Southfield projected the additive manufacturing market to double by 2028, approaching $40 billion. Additionally, federal initiatives like AM Forward show a willingness by the government and large companies like General Electric Aviation, Honeywell, Siemens Energy, Raytheon Technologies, and Lockheed Martin to collaborate on advancing AM technology in U.S. supply chains.

“We are also honored to bring together leading voices in the additive manufacturing industry, small to medium-sized manufacturers, academic stakeholders and policymakers to advance the conversation and encourage collaboration on additive manufacturing,” says Kelly. “This combination of public and private forces can affect real change in the industry and beyond.”

Though additive manufacturing faces challenges, and requires careful consideration before adoption, Kellys believes this technology is not just a new way of creating parts. It is a collective endeavor: A “nexus where brilliant minds and savvy adopters converge to redefine the boundaries of what’s achievable in our industry for the betterment of all. Let’s discover what is possible together in additive manufacturing.”

Read the playbook in full here.