Smart Manufacturing

CASE STUDY 4COVID-19 Accelerates the Adoption of 3D Printing

Anthony Tarantino, PhD

Introduction

In Chapter 12, “3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing,” Professors Bahareh Tavousi Tabatabaei, Rui Huang, and Jae-Won Choi provide an excellent deep dive into the history, technology, processes, growing acceptance, and various types of 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM). This case study examines how the acceptance of 3D printing accelerated and became front-page news because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is a fast-growing technology to manufacture items using computer-aided design (CAD) models and then to add materials in a layer-by-layer manner. 3D printing has the advantage of minimal waste of materials, the capability of printing parts with complex geometry, and the ability to create highly customized parts without the need for tooling.

Although there had been steady growth prior to COVID-19, the pandemic acted as a wakeup call to the value of additive manufacturing during periods of global supply chain disruptions. These disruptions created critical and sometimes life-threatening shortages of everything from simple nasal swabs to complex medical equipment.

3D Printing During the COVID-19 Pandemic

3D printing was pressed into service during the COVID-19 pandemic when the leading economies realized how fragile their supply chains were. The economic and military dangers of outsourcing and offshoring have been debated for ...