3-D Printing Vet Terry Wohlers Sees Endless Opportunities

3-D Printing Vet Terry Wohlers Sees Endless Opportunities 3-D Printing Vet Terry Wohlers Sees Endless Opportunities 3-D Printing Vet Terry Wohlers Sees Endless Opportunities Terry Wohlers welches there before additive manufacturing was an established industry. He began developing 3-D printed parts 30 years ago, when the technology was still untested. Wohlers, now president of Wohlers Associates, has written more than 420 books, articles, and technical papers, and delivered 150 keynote presentations on five continents. This year marks the 23rd anniversary of his Wohlers Report, which provides an in-depth analysis of the global additive manufacturing industry. Alan Brown, Mechanical Engineering magazines senior editor, recently caught up with Wohlers.ME You were one the worlds first AM consultants. What got you interested in additive manufacturing? T.W I started Wohlers Associates as a CAD consultant in 1986 and quickly stumbled across 3-D printing. I contacted 3D Systems, and they sen t me a full-scale distributor cap, back in the days when cars had those. I was just astounded, and I thought Wow, if this is really possible, it could be as big as CAD and a perfect complement to solid modeling.Terry Wohlers sees additive manufacturing helping small manufacturers and simplifying various supply bases.ME Then what happened? T.W I started working with the worlds largest manufacturer of in-ear hearing aids to konzeption and manufacture custom-fit devices. They sent me to events. I was like a sponge, soaking it all up and meeting people. One thing led to another, and eventually I was spending almost all my time in additive manufacturing.For You Additive Manufacturing Requires Different ApproachME That was 25 years ago. Whats the biggest change since then? T.W Additive manufacturing is finally getting the respect it deserves. And with that comes investment. Were seeing incredible amounts of money being spent on this technology, such as Strykers $400-million AM manufacturi ng facility.ME There is a lot of interest in metal AM. Whats going on there? T.W Metal is smoking hot today. There are many new vendors. Where companies previously bought one, two, or three machines to qualify processes, they are now buying five, 10, or 20 machines to go into production.ME Are the economics changing? T.W The prices are being driven down, and they need to be. You can afford to pay $250 per kilogram for materials to get prototypes right, because thats where changes are least expensive in the design cycle. When you get into production, its a whole different animal. Your costs must be closer to conventional materials and processes. This issue is being addressed, but it will take time.ME Are engineers taking true advantage of AMs flexibility? T.W Engineers who used AM for prototyping didnt really change their designs because they still had to produce them on conventional equipment. To use 3-D printing effectively and affordably, you need to design differently. For exampl e, you can consolidate many parts into one, or optimize a parts topology to increase its strength-to-weight ratio. These are new ways of thinking, and were just beginning to scratch the surface.ME To gain widespread acceptance, new technologies must turn peoples heads. Has 3-D printing done that? T.W GE did it with the nozzle system for its LEAP engine. That was a real milestone, a critical part that cannot fail. Boeing, Airbus, and Stryker are also great examples. Companies can look at them and say, Hey, we can do that, too. But cost remains an issue. When volumes are low and part value is high, it is easier to build a business case around AM.ME Do you believe AM can transform industry? T.W It has the ability to disrupt the supply chain almost entirely. When you consolidate 500 parts down to 10, you can imagine how that might impact your material suppliers, your part vendors, and the people that assemble and test your products. It introduces the possibility of doing more local manu facturing and really simplifying the supply base and making things much faster and more economically.ME What do you think will be making news in five years? T.W I hope costs improve to the point where major automobile companies are adopting this technology in a big way for production.Read More Additive Manufacturing Transform Supply Chain Protecting a New World of 3D-Printed Products New 3D Printer Extruder Takes Manufacturing to Next Level For Further Discussion To use 3-D printing effectively and affordably, you need to design differently.Terry Wohlers