Shifting the conversations from “why” to “how”
8 Additive Manufacturing companies that are considered competitors have joined forces to address the most pressing barriers that slow the adoption of AM. Named Leading Minds, this collaboration brings together Ansys, EOS, HP, Materialise, Nikon SLM, Renishaw, Stratasys, and TRUMP; all of which have already proven their expertise in this industry.
Announced on the first day of the show, the consortium shows how companies normally considered competitors are putting their differences aside to focus on what can make the industry move forward. Among the challenges often hindering AM adoption, are the lack of expertise, perceived high costs, and complex integration with established processes.
In practice, what will they do?
At present, many companies and technologies operate using different terminology for similar concepts, making it difficult to collaborate effectively and limiting the full potential of 3D printing in industrial production.
The first step for these companies will be to resolve this “modern Tower of Babel” scenario by developing a common language framework that allows manufacturers and technology providers to work together more effectively.
For instance, while at 3D ADEPT, we are doing our best to use generic terms to discuss specific topics of the industry (laser powder bed fusion, material extrusion, etc.), AM companies often use their own terminology to demonstrate their uniqueness. This leads to more confusion in the minds of potential adopters.
The launch of this consortium seems in my opinion very timely considering the economic downturn faced by our industry. Working together to raise awareness across industries that do not leverage AM yet would also mean creating an “educational roadmap” to target new adopters.
This would mean attending events across vertical industries under the same umbrella or in the long run developing a strategy to make AM more sustainable for industries. As these founding members say they are open to other companies joining “Leading Minds,” I can’t help but think that such endeavors should include the trade press of this industry at a more strategic level.
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