Manufacturers’ jobs are changing rapidly from just making things to also helping with decision making.

As someone who works in 3D printing, I see this change occurring every day. Now, clients want more than just parts – they want to know what they can create with those parts.

New materials are constantly being created. 🧪 New technology is also coming out every day. 🚀

And I have had clients come in enthusiastic about a certain type of material because they saw it in a video and thought it looked very cool and cutting-edge. However, the real question is: does this material fit with what they want to create?

That is where our responsibility begins.

If we have never worked with a certain material, then we will conduct research on that material. We will look at its mechanical properties, how it performs in different environments, what its surface characteristics are, etc. We will continue to conduct our own analysis comparing this new material against available alternatives, which will sometimes lead us to say that this new material is not an appropriate choice.

Saying no or not yet is part of completing your job properly.

The manufacturing industry is changing quickly, and there is no time to stand still. You either stay up-to-date, or you fall behind.

I really do love the pressure of my job. I cannot take any time off because I am always learning something new and looking for ways I can improve.

Manufacturing in today’s world is not just about machines 🤖 anymore.

It is about making informed decisions.

That is what makes this industry so fun.