Report brings together views and opinions from within Additive Manufacturing industry

April 20, 2020

The full report by Dr Jennifer Johns is available to read and download free of charge via Issuu (Courtesy Dr Jennifer Johns)

A report, undertaken by Dr Jennifer Johns, Reader in International Business at the University of Bristol’s Department of Management, UK, has sought to collate and interrogate the opinions of those within the Additive Manufacturing industry to address a number of key questions surrounding the state of the technology, its position in the manufacturing sector today and how that could change in the future.

Over recent years there has been consistent media and industry interest in Additive Manufacturing, fuelled by reports of high growth rates and publicity around exciting new applications, states Johns in her introduction. There are two concurrent stories to tell about AM, she adds, first the development of the AM sector itself – a high-technology industry with its own developmental trajectory, needs and aspirations. Second, the broader context in which AM is situated.

The research for the study was conducted between September 2017 and July 2019, with a total fifty-three interviews undertaken across three case study countries, the US, UK and Germany. Four questions were asked:

  1. What are the constituent parts of the AM industry and how do those parts fit together and interact? – This allows for the charting of the AM global value chain.
  2. To what degree can we observe a shift from prototyping to functional, volume manufacturing? – This addresses the application of AM in manufacturing in general and considers a range of application types.
  3. What are the business models underpinning the use of AM? – This interrogates some of the assumptions made about what conditions AM is applicable and the degree to which it makes business sense to be applied and takes into account some of the concerns around unrealistic promotional applications.
  4. To what degree is the use of AM changing the geographies of production? – Primarily focused on international supply chains, the question engages with the rhetoric around AM leading to reshoring of manufacturing back to Western Europe and North America.

The initial findings of the report were presented at the AMUG 2019 conference in Chicago, Illinois, USA, with the author reporting a positive response from the audience. Some of the comments and feedback are said to have been integrated into the final report. The report was also covered, in-depth, in the Spring 2020 issue of Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine (Vol. 6 No. 1).

The full report by Dr Jennifer Johns is available to read and download free of charge via Issuu.

issuu.com/j_johns/docs/additive_manufacturing_industry_report

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • LEAP 71: Why engineering must move beyond CAD to realise the promise of AI and Additive Manufacturing
  • Additive Manufacturing and European defence: a critical opportunity as the US and China accelerate ahead
  • A market analyst’s view: Europe’s opportunity as defence AM surges in the US and China
  • From Fixed Processes to flight parts: How REM’s advanced surface finishing supports NASA JPL’s AM innovations
  • The future of large metal parts: WAAMathon #2 showcases developments in Wire Arc Directed Energy Deposition
  • Wire Electron Beam Directed Energy Deposition (DED): Advancing productivity and sustainability in metal AM
  • Building trust in AM: How Qualified AM GmbH is enabling regulated production at scale

TRUSTED CONTENT. TARGETED AUDIENCE

Advertise with Metal AM and access a global base of 50,000+ AM professionals.

Contact Jon Craxford: [email protected]

  • AM machines
  • Process monitoring & calibration
  • Heat treatment & sintering
  • HIP systems & services
  • Pre- & post-processing technology
  • Powders, powder production and analysis
  • Part manufacturers
  • Consulting, training & market data

Don’t miss a thing – register for our newsletter

Don't miss any new issue of Metal AM magazine, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter.

Register now

Join 40,000+ other AM professionals – follow us online

About Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine

Metal AM magazine, published quarterly in digital and print formats, is read by a rapidly expanding international audience.

Our audience includes component manufacturers, end-users, materials and equipment suppliers, analysts, researchers and more.

In addition to providing extensive industry news coverage, Metal AM magazine is known for exclusive, in-depth articles and technical reports.

Our focus is the entire metal AM process from design to application.

Each issue is available as an easy-to-navigate digital edition and a high-quality print publication.

Discover our magazine archive…

The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

  • Reports on visits to leading metal AM part manufacturers and industry suppliers
  • Articles on technology and application trends
  • Information on materials developments
  • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
  • International industry news

All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

Browse the archive

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap