Building the Future through 3-D Printing
By Walter F. Fullam, Director of Continuing Education and Outreach
THE “ARITHMETIC” OF MANUFACTURING IS changing. In the future, manufacturers will rely less on subtraction and more on addition to create products. Manufacturing is the process of transforming raw materials into finished goods. To accomplish this process, manufacturers use a variety of techniques such as casting, machining, molding, and grinding to create finished goods. In these types of processes, a product is made by subtracting material.
While these traditional forms of manufacturing will never be eliminated, a new manufacturing process, called additive manufacturing or 3-D printing, is taking hold and it promises
to revolutionize the way many products are made.
Additive manufacturing or 3-D printing is the process of creating a three-dimensional solid object from a digital model. It is achieved using an additive process, where successive layers of material are laid down in different shapes. Additive manufacturing is being used in industries from automotive to aerospace to fashion to construction. The process is even being explored in the biotechnology arena as a means to reproduce human organs.
In reality, the additive manufacturing revolution has only just begun, and many companies and industries are attempting to determine how best to take advantage of this new manufacturing method. As a result, the federal government has created the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) as a resource to help speed the adoption of this new approach. Penn State is one of the lead educational institutions involved with NAMII along with the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Connecticut.
A number of Berks County companies have adopted additive manufacturing including Grosfillex in Robesonia and EnerSys in Bern Township. Grossfillex is an international company that manufacturers a wide range of resin-based products such as outdoor furniture, and EnerSys is leading global supplier of industrial batteries. Both companies primarily use additive manufacturing for the rapid prototyping of new products.
Penn State Berks has begun introducing students to additive manufacturing. The college has a small 3-D printer, which students in the Introduction to Engineering courses taught by Elizabeth Wiggins-Lopez, Instructor in Engineering, use to create non-structural 3-D models. In addition, students in other classes use the printer to create models for design projects. The college recently purchased a sophisticated 3-D printer that will primarily be used in Mechanical Engineering classes and for faculty research.
Dr. Rungun Nathan, Associate Professor of Engineering, believes that 3-D printing will have an important place in the Mechanical Engineering degree. He is planning to use the new printer to conduct research involving engineering students.
The impact of additive printing will not be limited to the factory floor. This new approach has the potential to profoundly alter manufacturing business models. As the technology matures, the price of sophisticated printers will drop, bringing them within the reach of small businesses and even individual entrepreneurs. Therefore small manufacturers may be able to compete with very large companies to produce high quality products within specialized market segments that do not require long production runs. Additive printing has already had a significant impact on the craft and handicrafts industry. The online marketplace Etsy connects shoppers with makers of unique home furnishing and jewelry products. Many of the products sold through Etsy are created with 3-D printers.
So students in the Entrepreneurship minor have begun to study the business opportunities being created by the additive manufacturing revolution. As a student, Glenn Adams (IST ‘12) kept one of his personal 3-D printers in the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development for his and his fellow students’ use. Adams attended Penn State Berks as a nontraditional student and is now enrolled at Lehigh University in the Master’s of Engineering in Technical Entrepreneurship program.
Adams comments that at present, 3-D printers can be an excellent “creativity tool” to help students see new business opportunities. It has spurred the larger “Maker Movement,” the evolution of tinkerers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses owners who are using 3-D printers to create and sell self-made products. Some of these individuals are connected through the Etsy website mentioned above. Adams sees 3-D printers as a way to introduce our students to this new way to start and operate a business.
Returning to the math analogy, at Penn State Berks, 3-D printers plus motivated students plus supportive faculty equals innovative education.