Additive-manufacturing study shows what’s necessary to unlock potential

By KALEA HALL

khall@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

A study of Northeast Ohio’s additive-manufacturing assets shows what it will take to make the $7 billion industry a more meaningful part of the local economy.

“The ball already is rolling,” said Barb Ewing, chief operating officer of the Youngstown Business Incubator. “We have a number of initiatives already underway.”

The Northeast Ohio Additive Manufacturing Cluster Study recently was released by the incubator, Team NEO, MAGNET and America Makes. The study was paid for by the Fund for Our Economic

Future.

The purpose of the study was to determine the feasibility for an additive-

manufacturing cluster or a “geographic concentration of interconnected businesses, suppliers, service providers and associated institutions” within the industry, the release says.

Additive manufacturing – or industrial 3-D printing – is a process by which digital 3-D-design data are used to build up a component in layers by depositing material.

The study found key core areas of strength in Northeast Ohio: materials, product manufacturing and design engineering. The region has 273,000 manufacturing workers, which is 62 percent above the national average. Having a manufacturing legacy “makes Ohio a hotbed of current and potential additive-manufacturing capabilities,” the study says.

Additionally, the presence of America Makes, the first additive-manufacturing hub created by President Barack Obama’s administration, is a unique asset to the region.

Additive manufacturing can be used as a resource by area manufacturers with direct parts production for prototyping and tooling.

The study identified 165 companies and organizations involved in the additive-manufacturing supply chain. Of those, 50 were interviewed to get a picture of additive manufacturing’s integration. From there, the study found the technology gaps that exist and what the opportunities are for additive-manufacturing use here. Reluctance in integrating additive manufacturing comes from the lack of knowledge of where the technology stands today, Ewing said.

“That’s [part of] our work as a cluster to understand how and when to employ [additive manufacturing],” Ewing said.

The vision of the study is by 2023 to have Northeast Ohio be recognized as a leader in “design and engineering for additive manufacturing; the use of additive manufacturing for productivity enhancements; additive-manufacturing investment and growth; additive-manufacturing materials innovation; and the attraction of direct investment related to the core activities of America Makes,” the study reads.

Additional information on the findings of the study and the work plan can be found at www.NEOhioAMCluster.org.