Technology is part of it. As both process knowledge and system capabilities advance, the circle of where AM makes sense expands.
Opportunity, too. The biggest obstacle to AM adoption is usually the existence of an established process that is performing pretty well. New products bring the opportunities to consider a different way.
In a piece that just went live on our site, I reflect on the driver that is more fundamental, the gradual commitment of decision-makers. Here is how I expressed it there:
“Minds are ultimately the meaningful factor driving adoption. For AM to take root, either someone’s mind has to change away from an established process or someone who does not know better has to take up manufacturing and begin with additive from scratch. Additive advances through minds changing or new minds arriving.” That is, through thresholds being crossed in the minds of CEOs and stakeholders.
In that article, I talk about the long-term factors favoring AM adoption (notably, freedom from tooling is so big we fail to see the potential change this can bring) against the challenges those advancing AM face in this moment. Read the entire piece here. -------------- Below: 6 Illustrations of Production Quantities With AM
Sakuu’s Kavian platform is a completely dry process for 3D printing battery electrodes. The company aims to strengthen domestic production capabilities and has licensed its technology for producing lithium metal cells. Read more.
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