45 - Additive Manufacturing for Production Can Thrive in a Purpose-Built Space (But It Doesn't Need One)

Additive manufacturing "factories" and other facilities that have been built from the ground up to serve this process are becoming increasingly common, but a purpose-built space is not a necessity for successfully applying AM. Stephanie Hendrixson and Fiona Lawler discuss Fiona's recent trip to visit a newly established Protolabs facility dedicated to laser powder bed fusion, and swap stories of other AM spaces--from a 3D printer tucked under the stairs to a rented office space all the way to buildings acquired or built just for production additive manufacturing.

 

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Mentioned in this episode:

• Fiona Lawler's article on her visit to Protolabs’ new Raleigh, North Carolina, metal additive manufacturing facility
• Slice Mfg, medical implant manufacturer in Akron, Ohio
• OMG Additive, Cincinnati-based startup founded by JP Kinerk
• CATCH, the Charlotte Advanced Technology Collaboration Hub located within Siemens Energy
• A tour through Stratasys Direct Manufacturing’s Belton, Texas, facility
• Würth Additive Group (feature article forthcoming—subscribe to The BuildUp to see it first!)
• Sintavia's Hollywood, Florida, facility designed for equipment upgrades
• More from Formnext Forum Austin, including what we learned touring Cumberland Additive and EOS
• Pittsburgh's Neighborhood 91 campus for additive manufacturing