A comparison between AM activity in Ohio and other regions of the U.S. reveals that the AM industry remains relatively fragmented, with no one region monopolizing the resources or production at this time.
Leading competitors include:
Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh is becoming an AM technical hub for several reasons, including accessibility to the existing resources of Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University (PSU) and America Makes. The region boasts strong assets in software and robotics. Additionally, GE and Alcoa have recently established AM facilities in Pittsburgh. Alcoa, in particular, is using the strong metals industry of the tri-state region as an opportunity to expand its AM metal powders production in Pittsburgh. Given Pittsburgh’s adjacency and the complementary AM assets it holds with northeast Ohio, a collaborative TechBelt (stretching from Cleveland to Pittsburgh) strategy presents obvious benefits.
Texas: Because the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has fundamentally strong AM components, the University has been selected as the first America Makes satellite. Alcoa and Essentium, both major corporate players in the AM space, have also established operations in Texas. Hardware manufacturer Essentium has recently developed a novel microwave process.
San Francisco Bay Area: HP and Carbon 3D, both innovators of AM machinery, have centered their business operations in the Bay Area. Carbon 3D cited the availability of venture capital and talent (software, Internet of Things (IoT) and electronics) as primary reasons.
New England: Strong biomedical participants and startups are drawing AM resources to New England: examples include Voxel8 and the U.S. headquarters of EOS, a major German direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) machinery leader.
Michigan: The manufacturing infrastructure that developed as a result of the auto industry has attracted European AM players, including three German machine manufacturing companies: Voxeljet, SLM and Envisiontec, whose work includes the manufacturing of a biological material printer.
North and South Carolina: The presence of 3D Systems in Rock Hill, South Carolina, along with major OEMs like Boeing, BMW and Volvo, have created a strong regional AM base.
Minneapolis: The AM makeup of the City of Minneapolis is benefiting significantly from the U.S. headquarters of Stratasys, a world leader in 3DP, as well as the presence of the RedEye service bureau and a considerable medical technology base associated with over 36 biomedical technologies companies located with the city and a strong partnership with the University of Minnesota’s Minneapolis campus.
New York: In 2012, Buffalo Manufacturing Works (previously known as the Buffalo Niagara Institute for Advanced Manufacturing Competitiveness) benefitted from an investment of $45 million as part of New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion Investment Development Plan. That investment has spurred the development of AM facilities, equipment and talent acquisition. In 2014, Ohio-based EWI was selected as the operating partner for Buffalo Manufacturing Works. EWI is a leading engineering and technology organization dedicated to the alliance of advanced materials resources, and manufacturing technologies.
