SME, Women in 3D Printing Join Forces to Build Diverse Manufacturing Workforce

SME, a non-profit professional association dedicated to advancing manufacturing, and Women in 3D Printing (Wi3DP), a global organization with a mission to close the gender gap in Additive Manufacturing (AM), are partnering to attract and build a diverse next gen workforce to advance the AM industry.

“SME has been enabling the development and growth of the Additive Manufacturing industry since the late 1980’s and we continue to be inspired by its people and technology,” said Robert Willig, CEO, SME. “Collaboration is crucial, and we are excited to embark on this strategic partnership with Women in 3D Printing, an organization that shares our passion for promoting and advancing Additive Manufacturing and creating a more inclusive industry for everyone.”

Willig said combining SME’s 90-years of manufacturing experience, vast resources, and scope with Wi3DP’s passionate network and robust programs will accelerate their shared mission to develop technology, connection, inclusivity, and opportunities to introduce the next generation to the benefits of a career in AM. This is an important step in closing the skills gap.

“It is important that the Additive Manufacturing industry is reflective of the real world, and we want to send a clear message that it is for everyone,” said Nora Toure, Founder, Women in 3D Printing, an all-volunteer organization. “We were looking for a partner to help us access even more people in the Additive community in more ways, and we are proud to join SME, with its decades of expertise, on this important mission.”

With a mission of promoting, supporting, and inspiring women using AM technologies, Wi3DP seeks to foster a more diverse industry. In just seven years, Wi3DP has grown from a simple blog to one of the largest AM communities worldwide, with over 80 chapters in 36 countries.

The collaboration initially includes four initiatives:

• TIPE 2023 Conference, focused on Technology, Industry, People and Economics, will now be co-produced and powered by SME and Wi3DP. This supports a shared goal of offering AM engagement and education year-round, including through digital platforms.
• SME’s 2023 RAPID + TCT.  SME and Wi3DP will launch the “Wi3DP Showcase”at RAPID + TCT next year in Chicago. This important showcase will extend the value of TIPE with an in-person experience.
• NextGen Mentorship Pilot. Recognizing the importance of workforce development, with a shared commitment to the next generation, SME and Wi3DP will partner on a NextGen Mentorship pilot program, expanding on Wi3DP’s existing program.
• Diversity for Additive Manufacturing 2023 Annual Report. Wi3DP and SME will co-author this annual measure of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the Additive Industry. The report will look at how organizations are expanding and developing their workforce, while providing resources to make DEI accessible, understandable, and actionable.

SME has a long history in the AM world. Back in 1987, SME hosted its first Rapid Modeling Clinic. In the early 90s, what was known as the Rapid Prototyping Association, joined SME to become the Rapid Prototyping Association of SME. More recent milestones include: In 2008, SME/RTAM approached ASTM to form standards committee F-42; in 2012, SME played a key role in the launch of NAMII, now known as America Makes; in 2015, Tooling U-SME launched its first AM classes; in 2016, SME’s medical advisory group first approached DICOM to establish 3D printing standards; and in 2017, SME & Rapids News Group joined forces to expand and grow RAPID + TCT.

Today, the industry is growing and thriving, with SME offering a wide variety of AM resources to inspire, prepare and support companies, educators, and individuals. These include online classes, instructor-led training, Additive Virtual Reality Labs, certifications, scholarships, mentoring, events, webinars, networking, and more.

Recognizing the power of collaboration to create a more productive and competitive manufacturing environment, SME continues to grow its strategic partnerships with like-minded partners including American Makes, TCT, Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG), and now with Wi3DP.  

For more information, visit www.sme.org or www.Womenin3DPrinting.com.

Marposs Acquires Grinding Machine Measuring Technology Business from Jenoptik

Marposs, a leader in measurement, inspection and test technologies, has announced the acquisition of Jenoptik’s (Jena, Germany) non-optical process measuring technology business for grinding machines, formerly known as Movomatic. With this acquisition, Marposs is taking over the facilities, management and employees at the main site in Peseux, Switzerland, as well as in Ratingen and Ludwigsburg, Germany, ensuring continuity of service and support levels.

Marposs is bringing the Movomatic brand back to the market, which had been abandoned following its integration into Jenoptik. For the time being, dedicated market strategies will be maintained with an autonomous approach to the respective customers. Possible integration between the product lines, such as combining Movomatic measuring solutions with Marposs wheel balancing systems and sensors, will be evaluated for possible future technical integration.

This acquisition, in combination with Marposs’ expertise in the field of high precision measuring and control solutions for industrial production, expands Marposs market presence and portfolio of offerings for its customers.

For more information, visit www.marposs.com.

Reshoring Initiative 2021 Data Report: Essential Product Industries Drive Job Announcements to Record High

In 2021 the private and federal push for domestic supply of essential goods propelled reshoring and foreign direct investment (FDI) job announcements to a record 261,000, bringing the total jobs announced since 2010 to over 1.3 million. For the second year in a row, reshoring exceeded FDI by 100%, in contrast to 2014 thru 2019 when FDI exceeded reshoring. Additionally, the number of companies reporting reshoring and FDI set a new record of over 1,800 companies. The Data Report discusses the trend and how reshoring will continue to be key to U.S. manufacturing and economic recovery.

More takeaways from the report include:

• The year over year increase is due almost exclusively to companies filling supplying chain gaps of essential products including: electric batteries, semiconductors, PPE, pharmaceuticals, rare earths and renewable energy.
• The Computer and Electronics industry has seen the largest jump in % of jobs, due to semiconductor/chip investment.
• Reshoring from Asia is about 10X that from Western Europe.
• Texas led the other states in jobs announced, followed by Tennessee.
• Preliminary data indicates a continuing surge of reshoring and FDI in 2022.

According to the initiative, reshoring was the key to U.S. manufacturing and economic recovery in 2021. The Biden administration actions to fix key supply chains contributed substantially to the 2021 and forecast 2022 results but are short term fixes. We see the administration applying tourniquets rather than addressing the underlying issue of U.S. manufacturing cost being uncompetitive. The Reshoring Initiative offers the Biden administration its help in developing essential policies. Its Competitiveness Toolkit is available to help quantify the impact of policy alternatives, including a stronger skilled workforce, competitive corporate tax rates and a lower U.S. dollar.

The Reshoring Initiative’s 2021 Data Report contains data on U.S. reshoring and FDI by companies that have shifted production or sourcing from offshore to the United States. The report includes 2021 data and projections for 2022 full year. The report provides data and analysis in categories ranging from the number of manufacturing jobs gained, to a breakdown of data by industry, country and state.

 “We publish this data semiannually to show companies that their peers are successfully reshoring and that they should reevaluate their sourcing and siting decisions,” said Harry Moser, founder and president of the Reshoring Initiative. “With 5 million manufacturing jobs still offshore, as measured by our $1.1 trillion/year goods trade deficit, there is potential for much more growth. We call on the administration and Congress to enact policy changes to make the United States competitive again.”

For more information, visit www.reshorenow.org. See the full report at https://reshorenow.org/blog/reshoring-initiative-2021-data-report/.