3D Printing Companies Establish Consortium

At Formnext 2024, a new consortium of leading 3D printing companies has been established to address pressing challenges that manufacturers face in adopting and scaling 3D printing technology for industrial use. Named Leading Minds, this collaboration brings together Ansys, EOS, HP, Materialise, Nikon SLM, Renishaw, Stratasys, and TRUMPF. The consortium aims to overcome barriers hindering adoption of 3D printing, enabling manufacturing companies to integrate and scale 3D printing solutions. The consortium’s initiative aims to create a common language framework for 3D printing.  

“3D printing has proven its worth across various sectors, transforming product design and providing highly customized solutions," the consortium noted in a statement. "Today, 3D printing is transitioning from niche innovations to high-volume manufacturing. To achieve this, the industry must overcome skepticism and deliver concrete, scalable solutions that will cement 3D printing as a cornerstone of modern industrial production.”

Barriers to adopting 3D printing include a lack of expertise, perceived high costs, and sometimes complex integration with established processes. Overcoming these hurdles is expected to requires industry-wide collaboration to make the technology more accessible to more manufacturers. The Leading Minds consortium was formed in direct response to these challenges.

The consortium founding members—Ansys, EOS, HP, Materialise, Nikon SLM, Renishaw, Stratasys, and TRUMPF—share a common belief in the power of 3D printing. Through collaboration, they aim to ensure that 3D printing is more accessible and scalable across diverse industries. The consortium is open to other companies joining.

The consortium stated, “Leading Minds represent a collective commitment to reshaping the future of manufacturing through the transformative power of 3D printing. The consortium aims to address pressing challenges faced by manufacturers today. This includes enhancing production efficiency, reducing waste, and enabling faster, more responsive supply chains. Through these efforts, the consortium will help create a more adaptable, sustainable, and versatile manufacturing ecosystem.”

The primary objective of the Leading Minds consortium is to increase awareness of 3D printing’s capabilities across more industries and eliminate hurdles that manufacturers face. This collective effort is not just about enhancing 3D printing but about taking practical, actionable steps to reshape the manufacturing landscape to be more innovative, sustainable, and capable of meeting the evolving needs of advanced manufacturing.  

One of the consortium’s first initiatives is to address the fragmentation and complexity of industry nomenclature to ensure that all players can operate with a clearer understanding of 3D printing’s capabilities. At present, many companies and technologies operate using different terminology for similar concepts, making it difficult to collaborate effectively and limiting the full potential of 3D printing in industrial production. To resolve this “modern Tower of Babel” scenario, the consortium intends to develop a common language framework that facilitates better communication, allowing manufacturers and technology providers to work together more effectively.

Visit https://mtls.am/leading-minds for more info.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.