Additive manufacturing: where to start

AM offers the possibilities of improved innovation, lean operations, increased sustainability, more efficient customization, stronger value chain, and optimized products. Getty Images

While additive manufacturing is rapidly evolving and continues to mature past prototyping toward production-ready manufacturing, many enterprises continue to have difficulty expanding beyond AM basics and are not sure where to begin. Dassault Systèmes has published a new white paper, “Additive Manufacturing - Where to Start,” in which the company shares insights from the successful AM starts it has seen take shape and develop into enterprise programs as part of its work with organizations of all sizes in many industries.

Many companies become stalled on R&D-driven pilot programs that fail to expand, or they never realize the power of AM beyond improving the product and process design. The solution, according to Dassault, is to move from one-off, department-driven initiatives and create an enterprisewide foundation. With the foundation in place, companies are considerably more likely to develop a value-added AM program that will continue to grow, evolve, and ultimately thrive.

AM offers the possibilities of improved innovation, lean operations, increased sustainability, more efficient customization, stronger value chain, and optimized products—all of which help enterprises compete more effectively in today's experience economy.

This white paper illustrates the critical need for the purposeful digital continuity and organizational buy-in that are required to realize the benefits of AM.