The growth of additive manufacturing (AM) in recent years has been astounding. And much of the success has been fueled by the cooperative, tight-knit spirit pervasive throughout our community, which we must continue to foster to spark further advances.
The technology itself is still relatively new, marked by a steady stream of innovations and breakthroughs from pioneering people, companies, and organizations. This makes networking among peers and exchanging ideas with other leaders even more important than it is for professionals in more established fields.
TIPE 3D Printing, a global virtual conference held in January, is a great example. SME and Women in 3D Printing co-sponsored the immersive three-day event, which featured a lineup of more than 120 women speakers. While all the presentations were informative and inspiring, the networking opportunities were just as important, providing the perfect environment to connect and engage with an unprecedented group of thought leaders—including keynoters Marisa Lago, under secretary of commerce for international trade for the Commerce Department, and Bogi Lateiner and Anne Pauley from Girl Gang Garage.
The abundant opportunities and almost limitless potential of 3D-printing also are underscored by the two leaders—Carolyn Seepersad and Ahmed El Desouky—profiled in this edition of Voices AMplified. In addition to their own impressive accomplishments, Carolyn and Ahmed’s AM journeys are proof positive of the importance of partnerships and giving back to the greater AM community—including students.
At The University of Texas (UT) at Austin, Carolyn and her team are exploring—and in some cases inventing—emerging technologies such as reactive extrusion (REAM), volumetric powder-bed fusion, and high-viscosity stereolithography. Similar to fused-deposition modeling, REAM is much faster and flexible than desktop printers: It took less than three minutes to print UT’s iconic but complex Longhorn logo with the process.
It isn’t surprising that Carolyn was appointed the director of UT’s Center for Additive Manufacturing and Design Innovation (CAMDI) when the facility opened in 2020. Bringing students, researchers, and faculty together under one roof, CAMDI expands the school’s commercial AM capabilities.
Ahmed also has no shortage of experience or success. In fact, he’s been in on the ground floor to help several companies launch their AM journeys, including stints at Eaton and Carpenter Technology before joining N.Y.-based Veeco Instruments Inc. in early 2021 as director of additive manufacturing. At Veeco, he’s helping the 75-year-old company apply the latest AM technologies to processing systems used in semiconductor and compound semiconductor manufacturing. Such applications could help solve current supply chain problems in the semiconductor industry. But there are also steep challenges, such as designing printed parts that can meet strict clean-room specifications—even the tiniest speck of dirt or a sub-micron-sized particle can wreak havoc a few months into a product’s life cycle.
That’s why it’s so important to have experienced pros such as Ahmed and Carolyn in leadership positions, and sharing their insights with others to continue to grow AM.