An Emerging Manufacturing Trend: Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing is a huge current manufacturing trend. You will likely know additive manufacturing by its most common form: 3D printing. In additive manufacturing, a product is designed using 3D imaging software, then literally printed, layer by layer, in different kinds of plastics and materials.

Additive manufacturing is such a big deal, it’s even being called part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

It’s easy to imagine how disruptive this technology could be should it become widely available. Imagine you drop a bowl in your kitchen and it smashes. Instead of going to the store to get a new one, what if you could print one from the comfort of your own home? There is much debate over how this sort of alternative manufacturing process could change the way products are consumed and made.

That side of additive manufacturing is still yet to be seen. But what is clear is that additive manufacturing has already become part of many manufacturing processes. Though many members of the public have yet to directly come in contact with a 3D printer, the machines are not nearly as rare as they once were. Additive manufacturing processes are already used in many sectors like aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and consumer packaged goods.

How Additive Manufacturing Is Used in the Industry Today

With some 3D printers costing as little as $500, additive manufacturing is becoming a big part of many businesses. 3D printers are used to make parts, to prototype, and to facilitate innovation and creative processes. If you want to be on the ground floor of this new developing technology, there are many jobs in the manufacturing sector in eastern Ontario where you can work with 3D printers, build 3D printers, or design using 3D printers.

A Manufacturing Job That Works with 3D Printing

3D Printing and Assembly Technician

The Job: in a job like this you’ll get to clean, sort, cure, and prepare 3D print orders.

You’ll maintain and clean the 3D printer, meaning you’ll get to understand exactly how the machine works.
You’ll prepare the resin that the printer uses to print objects.
You’ll design printing projects using state-of-the-art 3D printing programs and software.

Requirements: For this job you’ll need your high school diploma, and that’s it! A background in engineering is a strong plus when searching for 3D printing technician jobs, and it will give you a leg up on the competition; but it’s not always mandatory.