In recent years, factories have been steadily modernizing their facilities with more automation and manufacturing capabilities. With faster and better additive manufacturing solutions that can custom-make durable parts in one piece without the expense of the tooling, a new and exciting chapter in digital manufacturing has begun. This shift has attracted a new generation of engineers back to the shop floor.
“Additive manufacturing is reshaping the way manufacturing looks,” says Mihaela Vlasea, a professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering and associate director of the Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing (MSAM) lab at the University of Waterloo. “It's bringing more excitement back into manufacturing, especially for this young generation of students who live in the digital space.”
Mihaela Vlasea is a professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering and associate director of MSAM.
The MSAM lab is Canada’s largest academic-based research and development facility in metal additive manufacturing. It has state-of-the-art machinery and custom 3D printers that work with composites such as graphene, polymers and ceramics. The lab offers research programs and courses in support of graduate programs and runs regular workshops benefiting professionals working across industry sectors.
“There is a huge need for people with skills in additive manufacturing processes, material science, design for additive manufacturing, data science and process optimization,” Vlasea says. “We are finding that we can barely hold on to our students as they finish their degrees. Sometimes they leave for industry and come back to finish their degrees part-time.”
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