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The Syracuse Learning and Technology (SALT) Makerspace is getting ready for its grand opening on Thursday, September 11 at 6:00 PM. Housed in the Delevan Center on West Fayette Street, the SALT Makerspace features metal and wood shops, a computer lab with 3D printers, and a lounge where local inventors and artists can connect. Recent presentations and an open house are energizing the community.
Backed by a $29,000 grant from the Syracuse Tech Garden, the SALT Makerspace is the brainchild of Mike Giannattasio, a Syracuse University alumnus with a Master’s Degree in Sculpture. Private donors have also contributed $16,000, along with what Giannattasio calls “countless pieces of equipment”. By sharing tools and knowledge, local artists and engineers can minimize costs while turning ideas into manufactured items.

GE Aviation is proving that the future of advanced manufacturing involves 3D printing. At a time when many manufacturers are still exploring or experimenting with 3D printers for parts prototyping, the aircraft engine builder is investing $50 billion in production equipment. “We spent years proving out this technology for a critical component,” says Greg Morris, GE Aviation’s General Manager for Additive Manufacturing.
The equipment upgrade to the company’s Auburn, Alabama plant will put at least 10 new 3D printers on the factory floor. Eventually, more than 50 machines could occupy a third of the 300,000 square-foot facility. Meanwhile, back at GE Aviation’s headquarters near Cincinnati, engineers will continue to develop new 3D printed components.

Manufacturing Innovation Institutes are public-private partnerships where businesses, universities, and the federal government collaborate to promote manufacturing breakthroughs. The government provides the initial funding, but corporate and educational partners must match or exceed this investment. Today, the United States has several “innovation hubs” – and that number is expected to grow.

In a recent white paper entitled 3D printing and the new shape of industrial manufacturing, PwC and the Manufacturing Institute share the results of a survey of 100 manufacturers and offer predictions about the economic impact of 3D printing (3DP). Most of the survey’s respondents report that they plan to use 3DP, or are embracing additive manufacturing already.
Nearly 67% of the manufacturers surveyed are evaluating, implementing, or experimenting with 3DP, typically for prototyping instead of production. Almost 25% of the respondents say they plan to use 3D printing sometime in the future. The remaining companies, which include small contract manufacturers and large multinationals, don’t plan to adopt additive manufacturing at all.

Dan North is bullish on reshoring. The chief economist at Euler Hermes, the world’s largest trade credit insurance company, cites America’s relatively low labor and energy costs, steady employment growth, and increased manufacturing productivity. Higher interest rates and a stronger U.S. dollar could pose long-term threats, but North expects today’s positive trends to continue.

School may be out for the summer, but New York State is learning some important lessons about training tomorrow’s manufacturing workforce. From Buffalo to the Capital Region, the public and private sectors are working together to fill the manufacturing skills gap. Meanwhile, “the world of manufacturing is changing very rapidly,” explains Linda Shadler, professor and associate dean of engineering at RPI.
At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, the Manufacturing Innovation Learning Lab plans to add programs, equipment, and advanced manufacturing space. The project is still in the development phase, but RPI is targeting technologies such as 3D printing and micro and nano machining. At nearby Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC), an advanced manufacturing program is already underway.

During a recent visit to Pittsburgh, President Obama promised to provide small-to-medium manufacturers with the tooling they need to help themselves. “I can’t rent the Space Shuttle to you,” he joked, “but there are areas where we can enhance what is already being done by companies like TechShop,” a Steel City business that is lending production tools and equipment to local manufacturers.
On that same day, the White House announced that the Administration would offer entrepreneurs easier access to high-tech resources at more than 700 federal R&D facilities, including NASA’s National Center for Advanced Manufacturing in New Orleans. To speed the development of innovative materials, five federal agencies will also spend more than $150-million to support the Material Genome Initiative.