Global Additive Manufacturing companies form Leading Minds Consortium
November 20, 2024
A number of global Additive Manufacturing companies have come together to form the Leading Minds Consortium, in an attempt to address barriers manufacturers may face when adopting and scaling industrial Additive Manufacturing. Announced at this year’s Formnext, the consortium includes Ansys, EOS, HP, Materialise, Nikon SLM Solutions, Renishaw, Stratasys and Trumpf, and is also open to new member companies. Their initial focus is on developing a common language framework for Additive Manufacturing.
“3D printing has proven its worth across various sectors, transforming product design and providing highly customised solutions,” the consortium stated. “Today, 3D printing is transitioning from niche innovations to high-volume manufacturing. To achieve this, the industry must overcome scepticism and deliver concrete, scalable solutions that will cement 3D printing as a cornerstone of modern industrial production.
“Leading Minds represents a collective commitment to reshaping the future of manufacturing through the transformative power of 3D printing. The consortium aims to address pressing challenges faced by manufacturers today. This includes enhancing production efficiency, reducing waste, and enabling faster, more responsive supply chains. Through these efforts, the consortium will help create a more adaptable, sustainable, and versatile manufacturing ecosystem.”
Challenges in adoption and scaling
According to a 2023 survey conducted by B2B International, companies recognise Additive Manufacturing as a key trend in manufacturing, but almost all companies (98%) experience challenges and barriers to adopting the technology. These include a lack of expertise, perceived high costs, and a sometimes complex integration with established processes. Overcoming these hurdles requires more than individual efforts; Leading Minds calls for industry-wide collaboration to make the technology more accessible to a broader range of manufacturers.
The primary objective of the Leading Minds consortium is to increase awareness of AM’s capabilities across more industries and eliminate hurdles that manufacturers face. This collective effort is not just about enhancing Additive Manufacturing but about taking practical, actionable steps to reshape the manufacturing landscape to be more innovative, sustainable, and capable of meeting the evolving needs of advanced manufacturing.
A common language for Additive Manufacturing
One of the consortium’s first initiatives is to address the fragmentation and complexity of industry nomenclature to ensure that all players can operate with a clearer understanding of Additive Manufacturing’s capabilities.
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 Additive Manufacturing in industrial production. To resolve this modern Tower of Babel scenario, the consortium intends to develop a common language framework that facilitates better communication, allowing manufacturers and technology providers to work together more effectively.
https://nikon-slm-solutions.com
www.stratasys.com
www.trumpf.com
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