Wi3DP: Experts Discuss Challenges and Trends in 3D Printing Sustainability

A virtual panel discussion and networking event by Women in 3D Printing (Wi3DP) gathered three industry experts and leaders to share their insights and experiences on sustainability trends in additive manufacturing (AM) and how they will impact the industry’s choice of materials, energy usage, and waste.

Hosted by AM-Cubed President and Founder, Kristin Mulherin, and supported by AM service company Link3D, the live event featured Ellen Jackowski, HP’s Chief Sustainability and Social Impact Officer; Sherry Handel, the newly appointed Executive Director of the Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association (AMGTA); and Cindy Deekitwong, Global Head of Marketing and Strategy for 3D Printing at Henkel Adhesive Technologies. The group touched on several hotly debated topics, like the lack of research on the environmental benefits and challenges of AM and how to generate a fully circular economy for the industry, underlying the importance of finding ways to enhance the already visible benefits of the technology.

Mulherin asked the experts to discuss how sustainability initiatives can respond to many of the challenges facing 3D printing. For Jackowski, companies need to start making more sustainable decisions that will help move the industry forward in a responsible manner. Adding that everyone in the industry, no matter what role they play, need to have what she likes to call “sustainability contact lenses,” meaning that, even if the job description does not involve sustainability, they need to figure out a way to make decisions that will have an impact on the carbon footprint, the community, or the health and safety of a manufactured product.

“We certainly don’t want to start seeing 3D printed parts bobbing around in the ocean like we see so many other things these days. We all need to continue to drive the energy efficiency of this business,” suggested Jackowski. “For example, when you plug those 3D printers in, they suck up a lot of energy, and that is certainly an area for innovation. So, I would say that whatever part of the 3D printing industry you are in, think about your impact on sustainability. It is also crucial to understand the implications of the materials we use, where we source them from, and how our customers use them in the most sustainable manner.”

Ellen Jackowski visiting an FSC-certified forest to see responsible forest management in action. (Image courtesy of HP)

The other panelists agreed that sustainable impact is about collaborative efforts, and having everyone involved in reinventing the company for sustainable impact. Deekitwong highlighted that the technology itself lends to more efficient designs that create less waste and eco-friendly supply chains, but she believes the industry should enhance sustainability efforts by reducing fuel consumption, working with suppliers to find biorenewable materials and collaborate with ecosystem partners and consumers to recycle end-of-life parts. Deekitwong shared how Henkel’s recycling initiatives led the company to collaborate with TerraCycle to upcycle garbage from used 3D printed parts, resins, and packaging.

For Handel, who is focused on promoting the inherently positive environmental benefits of AM within key industries and the public at large, the existing research does not provide enough good metrics in data. This is why AMGTA is commissioning academic research through life-cycle assessment (LCA), to quantify and provide data and metrics on what it takes to produce a particular part via both traditional and additive manufacturing processes. Eventually, this will help the industry better understand what the eco-footprint is, and reveal some areas that will make the industry even more sustainable in the future.

Handel then centered on one of AMGTA’s core projects that will help create a more circular economy by empowering companies to develop a global set of standards to properly and cost-effectively recycle powder condensate, a vaporized metal powder that collects on the chamber walls and in the filter unit during a build process.

“The powder condensate cannot be reused and is considered a hazardous waste by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It usually ends up in a landfill, so we want to find a way to repurpose it, recycle it, and publish a a set of standards in early 2021 that we can share with our member companies and industry to help mitigate this challenge,” indicated Handel.

Then, Mulherin shared an overview of the importance of avoiding greenwashing, an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company is environmentally friendly. For both Deekitwong and Jackowski, this point is crucial, especially since both Henkel and HP have over 50,000 employees, and need to convey the message to everyone that the company’s reputation could be destroyed with one wrong move. Jackowski further described how it could be easy for employees to make a judgment call that could lean toward greenwashing, but said HP is “very aware of the boundaries of greenwashing.”

Cindy Deekitwong. (Image courtesy of Henkel Adhesive Technologies)

Both companies have seemingly strong objectives in place. For Henkel, reducing carbon footprint in operations means a 65% reduction by 2025, 75% by 2030, and becoming “climate positive” in 2040. While HP’s awareness of its responsibility around creating a circular economy led to policies to use fully recyclable materials in 3D printers.

“Our eye is looking at how we set up this industry, and as we’ve transitioned, we have seen increased adoption during the pandemic because of the flexibility and speed that 3D printing offers. But I think there are a lot of opportunities to continue to innovate and, as we stand up this industry, as we all transform from traditional manufacturing to 3D, we need to think about it holistically and doing it right from the beginning,” said Jackowski.

Sherry Handel, Executive Director of the Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association. (Image courtesy of AMGTA)

A clear challenge for Handel is the lack of awareness of environmental management system certifications. AMGTA encourages member companies to get ISO 14001 certified, an international standard that helps set the framework for a company to benchmark where they are and help them improve environmental criteria over time, like energy use. But Handel said that “not everyone is going to be able to flip on a dime and hit the easy button to get things accomplished and starting somewhere is better than nothing,” which is why AMGTA suggests third party certifications, like the Green Business Bureau, taking companies on a pathway towards more environmentally sustainable practices.

Toward the end of the conversation, Mulherin suggested that organizations need to recognize that sustainability efforts will generate revenues, instead of simply costing the companies money. In fact, Jackowski indicated that customers are taking notice of a company’s sustainability initiatives, detailing how HP saw $1.6 billion in new sales in 2019 due to the company’s actions in sustainability, a 70% increase year over year.

“We are seeing a shift, an awakening of general consciousness in consumer behavior and purchase patterns surrounding sustainability, and we only expect it to get stronger. That provides financial motivation for everyone in this space to continue to accelerate what we are doing. Whatever part of the value chain you are in, you are going to start feeling it more: the pressure to go sustainable,” said Jackowski, who also emphasized HP’s continued commitment to sustainability since founders David Packard and Bill Hewlett created the company in 1939. “As it has evolved over the years, sustainability has gone from being founder-led to across the DNA of the company.”

The virtual event gathered a wide array of participants worldwide, most of them working in the AM industry and eager to learn about sustainable practices thriving in 3D printing. As with previous panels, this Women in 3D Printing event facilitated a networking experience both before and after the speakers virtually took the floor, with crowded tables and a lot of simultaneous chats about the importance of environmentally sound practices in additive.

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3D Printing Webinar and Virtual Event Roundup, August 23, 2020

We’ve got a lot of online events and webinars to tell you about in today’s roundup, with topics ranging from safety and sustainability to AM training and industrial 3D printing.

Autodesk’s Advanced Manufacturing Summit

Tuesday, August 25th through Thursday, August 27th, Autodesk is hosting a free, global, and virtual Advanced Manufacturing Summit, featuring speakers and sessions focused on CAM, injection molding, generative design, additive manufacturing, automation, and other design and manufacturing trends. In addition to networking time and some hands-on learning sessions, and a COVID success story, there will be a keynote presentation each day.

All keynotes will take place at 11 am EDT. On the 25th, Autodesk’s Vice President of Business Strategy for Design & Manufacturing, Srinath Jonnalagadda, and Neil Briggs, founder of UK auto manufacturer BAC Mono, will discuss adapting to and overcoming the challenges posed by manufacturing in a post-COVID world. Autodesk’s Associate Vice President of Engineering, Ian Pendlebury, and Engel’s Head of Process Technologies, Dr. Johannes Kilian, will focus on data connectivity in their keynote on the 26th. Finally, Brian Betty, Ultimaker’s Director of Business Development, Autodesk’s Leanne Gluck, the Manager of Business and Industry Strategy, and Jabil’s Senior Director of Digital Manufacturing, Rush LaSelle, will talk about the role of AM in agile manufacturing. You can register for the three-day summit here.

Safe 3D Printing with Rize

Boston-based additive manufacturing company Rize will discuss safe 3D printing in a webinar at 2 pm EDT on Wednesday, August 26th. The webinar will cover several topics, such as the four stage of safe 3D printing, the company itself and its technology and materials, and the story of how the company fared working remotely during COVID-19.

“Because of our focus on overall 3D printing safety, we were able to adapt and bring our printers home as well as assist the community with the COVID PPE effort.”

You can register for the webinar here. Once you’ve registered, a confirmation email will be sent to you with information on how to join.

Sustainability in Additive Manufacturing

Also on the 26th, from 11 am to 1 pm EDT, Women in 3D Printing (Wi3DP) is hosting its next virtual panel and network event, “Sustainability in Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing,” sponsored by Link3D. Kristin Mulherin, the Founder and Fresident of AM-Cubed, will be moderating, and the speakers will be HP’s appointed Chief Sustainability Officer Ellen Jackowski, Henkel’s Global Head of Marketing Cindy Deekitwong, and Sherry Handel, the Executive Director of the Additive Manufacturing Green Trade Association (AMTGA).

“We’ll have plenty of time for a live Q&A from the attendees, and networking before and after for an opportunity to “virtually mingle” with people from your local Wi3DP chapters and afar. With men and women participating from all over the world, join us for this global networking opportunity!”

You can register for the event here.

3DEXPERIENCE: A Virtual Journey Continues

Earlier this month, Dassault Systèmes held the first part of its 3DEXPERIENCE: A Virtual Journey, a series of digital programming which is replacing its annual 3DEXPERIENCE Forum. The journey is continuing on Wednesday, August 26th, with “Fueling Innovation for the New Agile Enterprise.” Two tracks—Collaborative Innovation and Supercharge Innovation with the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform—will be available for participants, and each one will be jam-packed with industry experts and other speakers.

“What if your organization could seamlessly connect and bring together multiple streams of data, people, and processes into one single platform?  These senior executives from Dassault Systemes will present how leading enterprises are redefining and enabling a new, more efficient way to innovate and collaborate across internal and external value networks.”

Several subject matter experts will also share how they’re finding new, more efficient ways to innovate and collaborate through their presentations. Episode 2 sessions will be available online at 9 AM ET on the 26th. You can register for 3DEXPERIENCE: A Virtual Journey here, and don’t forget to mark your calendar for the final two sessions on September 23rd and October 14th.

Additive Manufacturing Training with Tooling U-SME

On Thursday, August 27th, The Barnes Global Advisors (TBGA) is presenting an exclusive webinar with educational technology and blended learning nonprofit Tooling U-SME, called “Additive Manufacturing gets Better, Faster and Cheaper with Training!” TBGA ADDvisors Tim Simpson and Chelsea Cummings will join the company’s Founding Director John Barnes to talk about how organizations can use team-based learning to save costs and develop skills in additive manufacturing.

“One goal of AM training is to provide guidance to organizations in recognizing cost savings opportunities. To do this, engineers must begin to design with AM in mind. Without that central shift in development, AM would never make business sense. With that simple shift, it is possible to design out significant cost drivers.”

The webinar will take place at 1 pm EDT, and you can register here.

Mimaki Talks Industrial 3D Printing

This roundup’s final webinar is also on the 27th, and is the last of Mimaki‘s Live events series, which was launched in June. This free Industrial Market Edition will focus on how COVID-19 impacted the industrial and manufacturing sector, and how businesses can recover and reactivate. This exclusive live-stream event will feature several expert guest speakers, who will share with attendees how they can discover their own unique opportunities with both UV and 3D printing technologies.

The webinar will also feature a panel discussion between several of Mimaki’s industrial partners and media suppliers, in addition to opinion polls and the chance to ask questions. The webinar will go from 6-8:30 am EDT, and you can register here. You can check out the recording of the previous Mimaki Live webinar about the textile and apparel market below:

Will you attend any of these events and webinars, or have news to share about future ones? Let us know! 

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3D Printing Webinar and Virtual Event Roundup, July 19, 2020

A variety of topics will be covered in this week’s webinar and virtual event roundup, including additive manufacturing in aerospace, CAMWorks, product management, post-processing, and more. Read on to learn more about, and register for, these online opportunities.

AM in Aerospace Virtual Panel

On Tuesday, July 21st, Women in 3D Printing (Wi3DP) will host the third event, “Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace”, in its virtual panel series. Sponsored by AlphaSTAR and Link3D, the panel will focus on how AM is used in the aerospace industry. Moderated by AM-Cubed founder Kristin Mulherin, the speakers are Anna Tomzynska, Director and Additive Manufacturing Chief Engineer for Boeing; Deb Whitis, GE Aviation Chief Engineer; and Eliana Fu, Senior Engineer, Additive Technologies, at Relativity Space.

Pre-registration will begin at 11 am EST, with a welcome speech at 11:25. The hour-long panel will begin at 11:30, with plenty of time for live Q&A, and there will be a virtual networking reception at 12:30. Register for the virtual panel here.

3DEO Webinar – Why I Switched From CNC Machining

Also on July 21st, metal 3D printing company 3DEO is hosting a live webinar, entitled “Why I Switched From CNC Machining: An Engineer’s Perspective on Transitioning to Metal 3D Printing.” The webinar, which starts at 1 pm EST, will feature 3DEO Applications Engineer Julien Cohen, who will explain the major differences between metal 3D printing and CNC machining. The following topics will be covered:

  • Compare CNC machining and 3DEO’s proprietary metal 3D printing process

  • Understand the value metal 3D printing offers engineers in design and flexibility

  • Learn about the pros and cons of each process and when metal 3D printing makes sense

  • Discover three real-world case studies of 3DEO winning versus CNC machining

  • See 3DEO’s process for going from first articles to production

You can register for the webinar on 3DEO’s website.

Free CAMWorks Webinar Series

To make sure professionals in the CAM industry have easy access to educational and training materials during the COVID-19 crisis, a free CAMWorks webinar series has been launched. Each session will give attendees the opportunity to increase their CAM skills, learning about more advanced features that can help maintain business operations. SOLIDWORKS CAM and CAMWorks: Getting Started” is on Tuesday, July 21st, at 10:30 am EST, and will be a training session on using the integrated CNC programming system SOLIDWORKS CAM Standard. It will also provide an introduction to the Technology Database (TechDB), which can automate the CNC programming process. “SOLIDWORKS CAM for Designers: A Path to Better Designs” will also take place on July 21st, at 2 pm EST, and will focus on how to use SOLIDWORKS CAM to reduce cost, improve design, and make it easier to manufacture parts.

You’ll need to attend the “Getting Started” webinar before attending “SOLIDWORKS CAM and CAMWorks: Getting Started with the TechDB” on Thursday, July 23rd at 10:30 am EST. This is a more in-depth training session for using the TechDB included in SOLIDWORKS CAM and CAMWorks. The final webinar in the series is “The Future of Manufacturing in the COVID Era,” also held on July 23rd, at 2 pm EST. This session will help attendees learn how to automate part programming to stay productive and competitive during and after the pandemic.

Protolabs Webinar: HP’s Multi Jet Fusion

On Wednesday, July 22nd, at 2 pm EST, Protolabs will be hosting a webinar with HP, called “Tips and Tricks to Leverage Multi Jet Fusion in your Product Development Cycle.” One of the company’s Applications Engineers, Joe Cretella, and Brent Ewald, HP’s Solution Architect, will discuss design tips that result in good MJF parts, how to implement the technology, and where MJF fits within additive and subtractive manufacturing.

This webinar will help attendees understand how the HP Multi Jet Fusion technology 3D printing process can be leveraged in various stages of the product development lifecycle. The experts at HP and Protolabs have teamed up to give you key insights into Multi Jet Fusion materials, processing capabilities, and part quality. Whether the attendee is new to additive manufacturing or evaluating Multi Jet Fusion for their production project, this presentation will help identify when the technology provides the most value and what to consider when manufacturing Multi Jet Fusion parts.”

Register for the webinar here.

Dassault Systèmes on Project Management Solutions

At 10 am EST on Thursday, July 23rd, Dassault Systèmes will hold a live webinar,”Discover How to Deliver Projects on Time and Under Budget, a Real-time Online Experience,” all about collaborating with integrated project management solutions connected to 3D engineering data in order to drive project success. Dassault speakers Maximilian Behre, the Online Industry Business Consultant Director, and 3DS Industry Process Consultants Siddharth Sharma and Alessandro Tolio, will discuss project management challenges, shortening the design cycle through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, provide a demonstration of Project Management on the cloud, and answer questions.

“Whether you are managing big programs that involve hundreds of people or are leading a smaller project, an easy to use integrated project management solution will help you to seamlessly collaborate across all disciplines with any stakeholder. Connect the dots between Marketing, Engineering to Manufacturing and customer services.”

Register here.

KEX Knowledge Exchange on Post-Processing

Finally, former Fraunhofer IPT spinoff KEX Knowledge Exchange AG is holding its second webinar on its KEX.net web platform, “Online Seminar Post-Processing for Additive Manufacturing,” on Thursday, July 23rd. Lea Eilert, the project and technology manager for the ACAM Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing, will teach attendees about typical heat treatment for AM materials, the necessity of post-processing for 3D printed components, and various post-machining and surface finishing methods.

Register for the webinar here. In addition, Eilert will also present the third KEX webinar on August 6th, entitled “Market, Costs & Innovation.”

Will you attend any of these events and webinars, or have news to share about future ones? Let us know! 

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