Just Press “Print” - Canada’s Additive Manufacturing Ecosystem

In Additive Manufacturing, the most common consequence of Anisotropy is that the print is weaker in the build direction than in the non-build directions due to the presence of small gaps between the applied layers. [...] The earliest patents for AM methods and equipment were filed in Japan and France during the early 1980s, but the projects associated with these patents were abandoned due to lack of interest and funding.17 Innovation in AM started to flourish in the US during the mid-late 1980s and early 1990s. [...] Barriers to entry for innovators were further reduced with the expiry of patents on several key AM technologies.29 This allowed for the emergence of a crop of new companies focused on the consumer 3D printing market and led to a drastic reduction in the price of desktop 3D printers. [...] In his State of the Union address of 2013, the president flagged it as a driver for job growth and for revitalizing the manufacturing sector.31 As measured by Google searches worldwide, interest in 3D printing surged in the early 2010s and seemingly peaked around 2013, declining in the mid-2010s. [...] With [strong roots] in the CAD software industry and with its large and diverse talent in the field of artificial intelligence, Canada is very well positioned to be at the forefront of this revolution as a major provider of digital design technology, education, and manufacturing services—as long as targeted investment from the private sector and adequate support from the government are present.