METALS
Metal additive manufacturing employs 3D printing techniques like Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Selective Laser Melting (SLM).
The Additive Manufacturing Cluster of Ohio is dedicated to helping companies accelerate 3D printing technologies, computer-aided design, tooling, and manufacturing methods.
New and developing technologies, such as electron beam melting, direct metal laser sintering, directed energy deposition, binder jetting, and many more are becoming cornerstones of the move away from traditional manufacturing techniques in favor of advanced manufacturing.
YBI AM Cluster of Ohio
The cluster began in 2016 as a study in partnership with the Youngstown Business Incubator, Team NEO, MAGNET, America Makes, and the Fund for Our Economic Future. The study identified the additive manufacturing landscape, market opportunities (such as aerospace and automotive), and a competitive analysis benchmarking Northeast Ohio against other regions for additive manufacturing processes, the supply chain, and functionality.
The AM Cluster of Ohio focuses on expanding and advancing 3D printing processes, product design, and high-quality product materials (polymers, alloys, and other metal materials, filaments, composites, etc.) to achieve optimization and be cost-effective. Upgrading 3D printers and automation in AM processes is key in further developing rapid prototyping product advancement as a whole.
The idea of creating 3D models and prototypes with metal parts is not new, however, the improved methods of creating them certainly are. Bringing complex geometries and reducing lead times in one of the most manufacturing-rich regions of American industry is crucial in advancing business/industrial practices.
Cluster Objectives
- Ongoing AM research and development
- Generating new industry applications of AM
- Stimulating regional entrepreneurial activity
- Driving business and economic growth
What is additive manufacturing?
Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, automates production by precisely adding material layer by layer, unlike traditional manufacturing which often involves subtractive manufacturing methods like drilling, grinding, and machining.