What do you do if you want to lead the way in 3D Printing?

It's important to know CAD software. Although, there are many free files, I think is important to create custom parts to increase the possibilities of testing and printing.

Stay informed about industry developments. Master the technology and innovate. Collaborate and build a strong network. Educate others and advocate for the technology. Invest in research and development. Prioritize quality, compliance, and customer focus. Lead by example with vision and integrity.

Here's the thing about gaining expertise in 3D Printing (I'm sure it can be applied elsewhere too) - you can't get it simply by reading whitepapers and articles. You have to get your hands dirty. I was fortunate to start my career at some of India's best 3D Printing firms. They allowed me to work hands-on on the machine, put in some elbow grease, talk with people on the production floor, and learn organically. This allowed me to transition from marketing at to being the in-charge for 3DP services, with a team under me! Don't be afraid to talk to senior industry leaders to continue learning!

Investing in research and development is paramount to leading the innovations stemming from 3D printing, as well as attracting challenging clients.

Gain Experience in both CAD software and make sure to learn your 3D Slicing software as well. It is important to understand how various settings affect your printer and the models it produces. Youtube has many great videos for this!

Another aspect of 3D Printing is how easy it is to network with people across the spectrum, in terms of the industry they are in and their level of expertise. Since this sector is still in the growth stage of the industry lifecycle, people are willing to talk, learn, and share. Networking is crucial whether you want to learn just to get into the field or to generate leads or purchase equipment, or even to collaborate on special projects! These days, networking events are a dime a dozen, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding one close to you! If not, online webinars too are a good place to get started.

Go down to MicroCenter in Orange County, hang out you will meet every 3D printing nerd in So Cal. YouTube is a good source to meet people as well..

Talk to your fellows in your institute from other groups. Try figuring out what they are struggeling with and think about ways, how your 3D printing expertise can help solving it. This will open up new connections quickly in my experience.

Dejar que tu hijo de-construya y re- imprima partes de su propia impresora 3D desde scratch y con scrap. La próxima generación quiere escribir su propia página

Fortunately, there is no dearth of innovation in 3D Printing. From college students to industrial engineers, everyone is constantly innovating. The field is such! In fact, one of the problems of adopting 3D Printing in industrial settings or even as service bureaus, is that the rate of innovation is far higher than the RoI. Above a certain level, it becomes difficult to compete unless you have deep pockets and are investing in R&D (innovation) constantly. There will always be a new machine with some new feature which will render your existing service/production line incomplete far quicker than you would have expected.

Get your self a moda-ble machine, a machine you can customize.. Learn -> Fluid, ORCA, CURA, Klipper and others ... I just recently learned that ORCA Slicer can slice native high rez IGS's and STEP files, your large 3D prints come out amazing...no more triangles from STL's in large prints...

Consumer 3D printing started with the hobbyists and tech enthusiasts, and thus, experimentation is within the very essence of progress in this technology. Future improvements may seem today as outlandish ideas. Adding a microphone to the printing bed for automatic leveling and print error detection? Sure, why not. Train a computer vision algorithm for print error monitoring? Sounds good. The open nature of the 3D printing community means that weird ideas are shared and iterated upon constantly, and no idea is outlandish enough to not be tested. The next milestone of 3D printing may have started as a joke, but it only takes one very curious person to make it a reality.

Absolutely! What is good for the goose, in this industry, isn't always necessarily good for the gander. The techniques, approach and benefits of 3D Printing in jewellery, are not applicable to say, the automotive industry. You need different materials, processing techniques, designing skills, and a completely different ecosystem. Some fields such as aerospace or defense, have security regulations and tighter requirements than others, so you have to prepare your approach and setup accordingly.

The Power Sports sector is about to reinvent it self, large format 3D printing is about to become very affordable with build it your self 800mmx800mmx1000mm from Elegoo and others coming in at < $3,000 Learn how build your own 3D printer

I agree with this point, even from an academic position. If we as a field want to stay relevant in the future, we have to identify fields where we can apply our expertise. Also, if you are coming from a different field, that adds bonus points as you can way better understand what the market of your background might require.

Familiarize yourself with various materials used, from thermoplastics to metal alloys, and understand their properties in relation to printing applications. Courses, workshops, and hands-on experience with different 3D printers will deepen your technical knowledge and practical skills.

Understanding the market and catering the products and service will help in defining the business idea and need for the 3D Printing Industry to chose and scale

If you consider 3D Printing to be a cake, the current competition is for slices of that cake, which is a rather small one. At this stage, the need of the hour is collaboration - between academics, academics and industry, and between industry. Instead of fighting for a sliver of the cake, we need to first bake a bigger cake (through collaborations), and then enjoy it. Collaboration will only lead to a faster growth of the industry, better regulations, innovation, and increased domain expertise.

In my experience learn the physics and strengths of all additive manufacturing technologies and be proficient in choosing the right applications and then further how to design parts for exploiting most of the benefits of AM

Not always :::::: you may be lead down the wrong rabbit hole, the industry is full of legacy tech experts If your collab team lead don't know the meaning of CORE XY - or Klipper / Fluid....they may be frozen inside a guided cage. Learn all you can on your own !

Conferences on the topic of 3D printing are in my experience your best bet to stay up to date with your game. On the contrary, if you have a specialized application for your 3D printing expertise, it is also valuable to visit conferences of that field to gain understanding what the current challenges are. This allows you to tailor your 3D printing applications to the problems at hand and allows you to stay relevant.

Totally disagree with the above comment on niches. Additive Manufacturing is only stuck in niches because it costs too much to compete with conventional manufacturing. So to be a leader in AM, understand the alternatives manufacturing approaches and figure out new ways to compete. Following what has been done before is the exact opposite of being a leader.

3D Printing is a play of the niches. To lead the way in 3D Printing, learn to master specific niches and applications within the niches. That is where the most profitable growth lies.

To pioneer in 3D Printing, it's crucial to embrace a leadership style that's as innovative as the technology itself. This means being agile, continuously learning, and fostering a culture of creativity and experimentation. Leaders should encourage their teams to push boundaries and think outside traditional manufacturing paradigms. It's also important to stay connected with the community and be open to collaboration, as the cross-pollination of ideas can lead to breakthroughs in the field. Lastly, balancing technical expertise with strategic vision will position you to not only adapt to but also shape the future of 3D printing.

I've learned that the best way to gain expertise in 3D printing is through practice and trial/error. Taking courses helps a lot, but it's more important to get hands-on and print, understand what you're doing wrong, and how to adjust your machine's settings. There's no magic formula; practice makes perfect!

At my stage of the learning curve, I feel it's important to carefully evaluate how I can a) ensure cost savings while using expensive filament material in prototyping and b) understanding the resolution capabilities and limitations of various 3d printers.