MCADCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – GKN Additive

By John Dulchinos, President, GKN Additive

John Dulchinos

In the field of 2023 additive manufacturing, we believe efforts in supply chain rebalancing will reflect a reduction in dependence on China and a greater global focus on electric vehicles (EVs) to further stimulate US manufacturing. In 3D printing, the SPAC bubble has popped, and company valuations have fallen, limiting access to capital, and ending the industry’s hype cycle phase. 3D printing continues to have excess printer capacity and remains heavily reliant on prototyping as its primary source of revenue, which is reflective of AM constraints such as limited engineering capacity, high 3D printed part costs, and a lack of robust supply chain solutions.

Looking ahead, we believe the industry’s next phase of growth will be driven by high-value, functional parts production, enabled by innovative designs and robust manufacturing solutions. This shift will be supported by an ecosystem of providers that meet customer quality requirements at scale, cost, and lead time primarily in the medical, aerospace, and automotive industries. The tipping point for the industry will come as the ecosystem matures and there is enough value creation with end-users to justify a switch to additive parts that provide substantial profit. We anticipate customers will increasingly look for financially stable, outsourced manufacturing solution providers that can consolidate and localize the supply chain to deliver assembled parts to spec while conforming to the appropriate industry quality management system(s).

About Author:

John Dulchinos has more than 30 years of leadership experience in digital manufacturing, currently serving as president of GKN Additive. Prior to his present role, John served as vice president, global automation and digital manufacturing at Jabil Inc., and CEO of Adept Technology. He possesses a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and robotics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Category: Industry Predictions

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