Fort Collins, Colorado, and Youngstown, Ohio, August 28, 2019 — Wohlers Associates and America Makes are partnering to offer a one-day design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) course for managers and executives. Following the success of previous DfAM courses conducted for engineers and designers on four continents, this course is the company’s first foray into educating management on wide ranging issues associated with DfAM. The October 24, 2019 course will follow the two-day Members Meeting and Exchange (MMX) held at America Makes’ headquarters in Youngstown, Ohio. The course is open to the public, with members of America Makes enjoying discounted pricing.
“AM is an inherently multidisciplinary technology,” said Ray Huff, associate engineer and DfAM instructor at Wohlers Associates. “Just as product development teams must rethink the way a product is designed, company management must also gain an appreciation for the new methods, software tools, and considerations that AM presents. Unlocking the vast potential of AM requires a broad understanding of both the opportunities and challenges.”
According to Wohlers Report 2019, the largest application of AM in 2018 is the production of end-use parts, as shown in the following chart. Jigs, fixtures, and other forms of tooling—a combined 18.5%—represent an important range of applications that can save companies a tremendous amount of time and money. End-use parts and tooling rely heavily on designing in a way that optimizes for the AM process. Managers and executives considering the adoption of AM for production applications will gain an advantage over others if they attend this course.
Course presentations, discussions, and hands-on exercises cover the economics of AM, consolidating many parts into one, and topology optimization, which is letting mathematics decide where to place material to optimize the strength-to-weight ratio. The course also covers lattice/mesh structures, the important of DfAM rules and guidelines, and distortion modeling and simulation. The course includes considerations for metal, polymer, and composite materials, the creation of custom products, and reducing the need for expensive support material. Those attending the course will receive Wohlers Report 2019 at no additional cost. Details on the course are available at this web page.
About Wohlers Associates, Inc.
The company offers an unparalleled window into additive manufacturing and 3D printing. The independent consulting firm of 32 years provides technical, market, and strategic advice on the new developments and trends in rapid product development and AM. Wohlers Associates counts 260 organizations in 26 countries among its clients. Separately, the company has provided advice to more than 180 companies in the investment community. Wohlers Associates has conducted DfAM courses in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, South Africa, and the U.S. For more information, go to wohlersassociates.com.
About America Makes
America Makes is the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute. It serves as the nation’s leading and collaborative partner in AM and 3D printing technology research, discovery, creation, and innovation. It is structured as a public-private partnership with member organizations from industry, academia, government, and non-government agencies, with workforce and economic development resources. These organizations are working together to innovate and accelerate AM and 3D printing to increase the global manufacturing competitiveness of the U.S. For more information, americamakes.us.
Source: Wohlers Associates, Inc.
