IRAMP Poised To Accelerate Adoption Of Additive Manufacturing

In two recent Manufacturing Engineering and Smart Manufacturing magazine articles by Michael Grieves, PhD, chief scientist for advanced manufacturing at the Florida Institute of Technology, Grieves talks about how, after years of hype and predictions, additive manufacturing is on the brink of becoming the disruptive technology that will transform industry. While it may never completely replace subtractive manufacturing, if it makes even small inroads into historically subtractive areas, it will have a huge impact on 21st century manufacturing. For example, small-run manufacturing of fixtures and molds and creation of on-demand spare parts anywhere in the world will prove additive manufacturing’s value to manufacturers.

To accelerate additive manufacturing’s adoption, the Interactive Rapid Additive Manufacturing Portal (iRAMP) was created so SME members and manufacturers can make informed decisions when considering the purchase of an additive manufacturing machine or 3D printer. With iRAMP, machine providers can provide manufacturers with immediate access to relevant information about their products, and manufacturers can select the right equipment for their needs — with SME acting as the trusted third party between manufacturers and equipment providers. By using iRAMP, manufacturers can save time and money by narrowing their search for AM equipment to only those products that are applicable to their specifications.

But that’s just the beginning; iRAMP’s vision goes further. The adoption of additive manufacturing depends on the answers to two fundamental questions regarding technical and economic feasibility: “Can I make it?” and “Should I make it?” So iRAMP’s future will be guided by the following framework and methodology: Size, Accuracy and Material (SAM) plus Cost and Throughput (CT). Based on feedback from the additive manufacturing community, especially SME members, SME will look to add aids to help answer these key questions.

SME will introduce iRAMP at its upcoming RAPID + TCT event in Detroit May 20-23, but check out iramp.org for information on iRAMP sponsors and the link to start your iRAMP journey.