Industryweek 5818 3d Printed Robot Promo2
Industryweek 5818 3d Printed Robot Promo2
Industryweek 5818 3d Printed Robot Promo2
Industryweek 5818 3d Printed Robot Promo2
Industryweek 5818 3d Printed Robot Promo2

3-D Printing and the Skilled Workforce of the Future

Nov. 11, 2013
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory is donating over 35,000 3-D printers to schools around the country to help train the next generation's workforce with the tools of the future.

The technologies behind additive manufacturing have hit an exciting tipping point.

No longer just for prototypes and fantasy, 3-D printers are churning out new "real-world' products into the market every day, providing applications for everything from rocket engines to running shoes – see "3-D Printing in the Real World [SLIDESHOW]."

Few organizations have pushed the technology further along in this regard than the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

The lab, according to a new article on Aviation Week, is on the cutting edge of additive manufacturing, developing solutions for large scale printing (the next frontier for the technology), new high-strength materials and novel robotic components for the Office of Naval Research.

But, more importantly, as the engineers at ORNL learn to "think beyond current materials and designs," they understand that – to really drive the technology forward – they need an inspired workforce trained with very 21st century skills.

So the organization has done something neat.

As Aviation Week explains, the ORNL is in the process of placing thousands of 3-D printers into U.S. school in order to give future designers and engineers the skills they need to drive this new market.

Though starting slow with just 250 machines this year, the lab will place 3,000 printers into schools next year, and then 4,000 the following and then 28,000 printers all for students. Which means the lab is single-handedly shaping the skilled workers of the future.

The lab’s goal is to move from prototyping to production and enable distributed, "democratized" manufacturing where 3-D printers are a source of revenue for everybody, says Lonnie Love, group leader for automation, robotics and manufacturing at ORNL.

It is, he says, a high-tech return to the cottage industries that predated the Industrial Revolution.

Read the full article at Aviation Week: "ORNL Uses New 3-D Printers To Break Down Development Barriers"

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!