By Andrei Kharatsidi, CEO and Co-Founder, SprutCAM Tech

Andrei Kharatsidi

Get a glimpse into the future of the CAM market and technologies with SprutCAM Tech’s forecast for 2023.

The Covid-19 pandemic has not only disrupted supply chains globally, but has also accelerated the consolidation of the CAM market. There are very few independent developers left in the market, and it is possible that at least one of them will be acquired by a larger corporation by the end of 2023 due to the current economic and political challenges in Europe. Furthermore, major tech companies continue to have plans, resources, and interest in acquiring intellectual assets from smaller players in the industry. The competition for dominance in the CAM market is intensifying.

The potential for artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance the computer-aided manufacturing process is an interesting possibility to consider. While some CAD/CAM software already uses AI to streamline menus and commands, the concept of a CAM system that can independently program the machining of parts is a promising one. However, developing such a system is likely to be a complex and time-consuming process, requiring the integration of various advanced technologies and the ability to learn and adapt using large amounts of user data.

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By Alexander A. Hussain, Co-Founder / CEO, 3DChimera

Alexander A. Hussain

3DChimera helps companies select and implement advanced manufacturing technologies, including 3D printing, 3D scanning and 3D CAD.  As we enter 2023, all the supply chain & logistics challenges that began with the start of the pandemic continue to plague just about every manufacturing business operating in the US.  Fortunately, advanced manufacturing can give companies a creative and cost-effective method to take back control of their manufacturing.

In 2022, we saw a sharp shift in the focus of our customers – from prototypes to manufacturing.  The latest advances in powder bed fusion and resin-based 3d printing technologies have poised additive manufacturing as a legitimate technique to reduce risk, provide agility and speed products to market – especially when compared with traditional outsourced manufacturing overseas.  Across every industry, we are seeing companies who are ready to expand their manufacturing capabilities into industrial production with additive manufacturing.  We predict exponential growth in the number of companies who will utilize additive manufacturing to produce end-use parts in 2023.

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By Paul Van Metre, Co-Founder, ProShop ERP

Paul Van Metre

I predict that 2023 in the machining/manufacturing sector will be record-breaking for some and very difficult for others. A year where some companies are drowning in opportunities, and others are scraping the barrel to find any work to keep their equipment busy. There are several variables that feed into my prediction.

1. The gap between sales-driven companies vs. those that are not will be highlighted as the economy softens because of increased interest rates and competition. I’ve already started seeing this in the past several months, where many shops I know are slammed with record-setting volumes of work, and others are scraping to get by. The busy shops have decided to be sales and marketing driven. They are proactively investing in their future sales opportunities. Many shops will go out of business in 2023 if they don’t become sales-driven organizations.

2. Cybersecurity will become a make-or-break topic for many shops. CMMC is coming in 2023 for companies in the government and defense supply chain. Even before the requirements are written into contracts and RFQs, OEMs are already starting to filter out companies, not in compliance with or aggressively pursuing the regulations for NIST 800-171 and CMMC. Companies can’t keep their head in the sand any longer.

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