Text: James Woodcock
Industrialization, in the context of AM, refers to the transition of additive manufacturing from a niche prototyping tool to a fully integrated production technology capable of meeting the demands of large-scale manufacturing. Industrialization is therefore about making AM a viable production technology, integrating it into traditional manufacturing operations at scale. Most people familiar with the technologies recognize AM’s journey from a prototyping tool to a brief darling of the consumer electronics world, to today’s push for additive manufacturing — with an emphasis on the ‘manufacturing.’
It is one of the mega-topics that surrounds the AM industry. It acts as the overarching ‘why’ that brings all other discussions into focus: Why do we need more materials? Why should we integrate AI? Why does design for AM matter? Why is the skills gap an existential issue?
In the end, manufacturing decisions revolve around cost reduction and profit maximization. AM must deliver economic value to gain widespread adoption, otherwise we're trying to put an expensive square peg into a shrinking round hole. However, due to geopolitical instability and supply chain challenges, AM doesn’t necessarily have to be perfect to make an impact — it just has to be good enough to address pressing manufacturing problems effectively.
This heat exchanger produced by EOS and nTop exemplifies the key benefits of AM that are driving the industrialization of the technologies: part consolidations, novel alloy use, complex geometries. Image: EOS
Why has AM not already achieved full industrialization?
The industry has been discussing AM’s industrialization for years, yet significant challenges remain. Many of the issues that have been identified as crucial for AM’s growth still require considerable development:
- Materials
- Process stability
- Automation
- Standardization
- Efficiency
- Design
- Workforce development
- Trust and confidence
Two key groups drive industrialization: those using AM and those developing AM technologies. Users play a crucial role by finding ways to integrate AM into their production workflows, identifying real-world challenges, and refining applications to improve efficiency. Meanwhile, technology developers work on advancing hardware, software, and material capabilities to enhance AM’s reliability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Both groups must collaborate closely to ensure that AM meets the evolving demands of industrial production. While users can only deploy what the industry provides, they play a critical role in refining applications and addressing real-world challenges.
Challenges remain
Despite its potential, several barriers prevent AM from achieving full industrial adoption:
- Cost – At large volumes the cost of AM is often prohibitive in a like-for-like comparison with manufacturing technologies with decades of refinement behind them (and try as we might, people will continue to make like-for-like comparisons). The high cost of AM materials and post-processing also limits scalability.
- Process consistency & QA – Consistency challenges are commensurate with the complexity of the process, and AM has a ton of inherent complexity across everything from materials to finishing. Quality control methods are still evolving to ensure repeatability across large batches.
- Interoperability and integration – Successful adoption requires seamless integration into existing production lines, often consisting of mixed manufacturing technologies. Many manufacturers struggle with software interoperability, data handling, and workflow automation.
- Material limitations – While the range and properties of materials for AM have advanced, they remain limited compared to traditional options. Developing materials that meet industrial standards for durability, strength, and cost-effectiveness remains a hurdle.
- Standards and regulation – Certification and standardization efforts are still evolving, particularly in highly regulated industries such as aerospace and healthcare. The lack of universally accepted standards creates uncertainty for manufacturers looking to scale AM.
- Trust and confidence — adoption of AM means cost, and CAPEX budgets are continuously being squeezed. In order to ‘open the chequebook’ buyers must be supremely confident in the solution and the company behind it. A quick look at the headlines around AM in the last couple of years does not inspire that confidence!
The founders of AM I Navigator: François Minec (Global Head, Polymers 3D Printing, HP 3D Printing), Martin Back (Managing Director, BASF Forward AM), Karsten Heuser (Vice President Additive Manufacturing, Siemens Digital Industries), Felix Ewald (CEO & Co-Founder, DyeMansion) & Nikolai Zaepernick (CBO, Managing Director, EOS). Image: Siemens
Collaboration (again!)
Collaboration across the AM ecosystem is essential to overcoming these challenges. Industry leaders, research institutions, and technology providers are working together to create solutions that drive AM toward industrialization. Several initiatives are actively addressing these barriers and pushing AM toward industrialization:
- AM I Navigator
Launched at Formnext 2023 by Siemens, DyeMansion, BASF Forward AM, EOS, and HP, and now including Stratasys, AM I Navigator provides a structured roadmap for AM integration. It offers a Maturity Model outlining five stages of AM adoption: Basic, Professional, Advanced, Integrated, and Autonomous. This allows companies to assess their progress and receive tailored recommendations on automation, connectivity, and operational optimization. Similar to Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and Manufacturing Readiness Levels (MRLs) in the defense industry, this framework helps manufacturers scale AM more effectively.
Dr. Karsten Heuser, VP Additive Manufacturing; Head of Company Core Technology AM & Materials, Siemens AG: “With Stratasys as a further partner, the AM I Navigator is entering the next round. Since the launch of the initiative in November 2023, the framework has been continuously refined and updated with concrete application examples. With its framework, the AM I Navigator provides a structured approach to defining the current status and the steps toward the target state of industrialized additive manufacturing. It builds on established frameworks for digital manufacturing, such as the Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI), which helps companies to assess their current level of digitalization and readiness for Industry 4.0 and to develop strategies for the modernization of their production processes.” - Leading Minds Consortium
Announced at Formnext 2024, the Leading Minds Consortium—comprising Ansys, EOS, HP, Materialise, Nikon SLM, Renishaw, Stratasys, and Trumpf—aims to address fundamental barriers to AM adoption. A key focus is developing a common language framework for AM, reducing fragmentation and inconsistent terminology that hinder collaboration. By aligning manufacturers and technology providers, Leading Minds aims to make AM more standardized, accessible, and scalable. - World Economic Forum’s AM Initiative
The World Economic Forum (WEF), in collaboration with Fraunhofer and ETH Zurich, has also taken a leadership role in AM industrialization. Their white paper, An Additive Manufacturing Breakthrough: A How-to Guide for Scaling and Overcoming Key Challenges, offers a structured approach for scaling AM. This initiative focuses on process standardization, workforce development, and investment strategies to support AM’s transition into mainstream production.
The path ahead
For AM to transition from largely prototyping to largely large-scale production, these industry initiatives play a critical role in shaping its future. By tackling scalability, standardization, and integration, they are laying the groundwork for AM to become a fully industrialized technology.
However, one of the most important drivers of industrialization is aligning AM with the broader challenges of manufacturing and demonstrating its value as a solution. In an increasingly unstable world, supply chain resilience is a pressing concern. Here, AM doesn’t need to be flawless—it just needs to be a viable alternative that addresses these pain points. Identifying these use cases requires time and a deep understanding of real-world manufacturing challenges.
Another factor shaping AM’s role in industrial production is sustainability. Environmental concerns once seemed to be at the forefront of manufacturers’ minds, but weak regulation and shifting political priorities have changed those dynamics. However, commercial sustainability remains a constant driver—if AM can demonstrate financial and operational advantages, its adoption will accelerate, regardless of shifting environmental policies.
Ultimately, industrialization requires AM to move beyond the technology itself and embed itself into the broader manufacturing mindset. This means focusing on cost reduction, improving process stability, and ensuring seamless integration with existing manufacturing systems. Industry stakeholders can drive this transformation by investing in workforce training, advancing automation, and collaborating on standardization efforts. By addressing these critical areas, AM can move from a niche technology to a fundamental pillar of modern industrial production. Only by addressing cost, consistency, and integration challenges can AM fulfill its promise as a truly transformative industrial technology.
Authors Note:
The fundamentals of AM technologies lend themselves to the prototyping, short run and one off part manufacture. While striving for the industrialization of AM is in itself a noble goal, we should also keep in sight the impacts the technologies have in the design and engineering phases — there’s work to be done (and money to be made) here, too.