The following excerpt is from the "Additive Manufacturing: Why we can afford to be bullish" whitepaper, a forward written by Prof. Dr. Michael Suess, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Oerlikon.

As is typically the case for the rise of any new development process, the industrialization of a revolutionary technology such as additive manufacturing (AM) requires a periodical evaluation of the current situation. With this background, the recent third Munich Technology Conference (MTC3) was held in October 2019 under the theme “Time for a Reality Check.” The event has grown to become one of the most important conferences for the blossoming AM sector and this year attracted more than 1,500 attendees from 32 countries.

The impact that AM is having on production is already noticeable within the industry. The opportunities that the young technology offers for individualized products down to “lot size 1” are undisputed and have been impressively documented. However, we have yet to make the great strides towards the broader application of AM that were anticipated several years ago. Numerous examples have shown that improvements in productivity and reproducibility still have to be accelerated and that a standardization of processes, materials, and printers is required. These should therefore be the main areas of focus for the AM industry’s efforts going forward.

Furthermore, universities need to consistently include more areas within the field of digital production into their curriculums. It is only once we have achieved a true mindset shift on how we engineer parts that the full potential of AM technology can fully thrive. A shift is also required when it comes to the economic evaluation of production methods. Only the total cost of ownership of a product can demonstrate the advantages offered by AM. The true benefits of AM that need to be highlighted include increased efficiency, reduced complexity, and optimized logistics. This will require considerable research and marketing efforts.

Working together for the industrialization of AM will benefit every single player within the industry. The partner network of MTC3 consists of Technical University of Munich (TUM), GE Additive, Linde AG, McKinsey & Company, Siemens, and TÜV SÜD. This partner network and the Bavarian Cluster for Additive Manufacturing show how strong the willingness is to rapidly integrate AM into industrial processes.

The purpose of this white paper is to offer readers from across industries an evaluation of the current situation when it comes to AM adoption. It is aimed at everyone who is interested in this transformational technology, including those who are already working with AM or researching its potential. But we also want to reach out to all those who are still skeptical and want to find out more before investing.

The examples presented here feature products and business models based on AM, as well as the development of new technologies and materials. Last but not least, they relate to the progress being made in defining and setting uniform technical and legal standards. Since these insights are mainly based on presentations and discussions from MTC3, the structure and themes in this white paper are accordingly similar to those in the conference itself. All examples presented in this white paper reaffirm that AM is on the home stretch towards industrialization and that a digital factory without AM will be virtually unimaginable in the future. As you will read throughout this document, the evidence for this is becoming increasingly prevalent and reassuring as we as an industry continue on this exciting journey.