Mainebiz

V o l . X X I N o. V M a r c h 9 , 2 0 1 5 24 A 2014 survey of 100 industrial manufacturers conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, an international professional services network, reveals that 3D printing is revolutionizing the way products are manufactured. Citing as two extreme examples "jet engine parts" and "made-to-fit biki- nis," the survey reports that the global 3D printer market is posed to hit $6 billion by 2017, an almost three-fold increase from $2.2 billion in 2012. Manufacturers, both large and small, are finding that 3D printing, also known as additive manufactur- ing, offers opportunities to transform and accelerate the product development processes, cutting innovation costs by allowing manufacturers to design, make and test prototypes in days, rather than week or months. e PwC survey found that, of the 100 companies surveyed, 67% are currently using 3D printing in some way. Of those still on the sidelines, 25% say they plan to implement the technology in the near future. e report concludes the technology "is on the cusp of being mainstreamed" and identifies a number of potential "disruptions and opportunities," including: Gains in speed and flexibility in research and development An opportunity to reimagine supply chains Savings in materials, labor and transportation costs, with some large manufacturers in the auto and aerospace industries considering "reshoring" manufacturing jobs back to the United States. To see how 3D technology is being used by manufacturers and industrial designers here in Maine, Mainebiz took to the road, visiting the new RollEase Innovation Center at Brunswick Landing and Portland-based industrial designer and archi- tect Patric Santerre of ARCADIA designworks to report their stories. Even that small sampling con- firms much of what PwC highlights in its 18-page survey: 3D technology is already changing the face of manufacturing, and the pace of that transforma- tion is likely to accelerate. A r c A d i A d e s i g n w o r k s : 'A means for getting to bigger ideas' Patric Santerre describes his Portland-based archi- tecture and industrial design firm, ARCADIA designworks, as a "creative think tank, a collective group of talented individuals who work hard and have fun producing products, buildings and artifacts that reflect a positive impression of the human experience, are economically prudent and appropri- ate for both present and future generations." e operative word of that definition is "human." As much as he's embraced 3D technology as a use- ful tool, primarily in his industrial design work, Santerre is quick to point out that it still requires human creativity and skill to design a functional item. ere's no special magic to the 3D printer he purchased two years ago. "It's only a means for getting to bigger ideas," he says. In his small second-floor office, lined with shelves of books on architecture and design, Santerre displays a current industrial design project he's working on for Duratherm Window Corp., a Vassalboro custom-win- dow maker. e company is revamping the hardware for its casement and awning windows to improve its functioning and aesthetics. Santerre started with hand-sketched designs, incor- porating feedback from his client and taking advantage of existing product research. "As a designer, we start with a concept drawing to take a non-dimensional idea and make it dimensional," he says. "A two-dimensional drawing is the starting point." From his discussions with Duratherm's pro- duction team, he knew the old-style hardware for opening and closing the windows was prone to scratching, and that they weren't fully satisfied with Patric Santerre (right), architect and industrial designer at ARCADIA designworks, and intern Anya Timchenko prepare data so a MakerGear M2 printer can create a window lock mechanism. P h o t o / t i m G r e e n way Transformative technology Two companies embrace 3D printing in their product development processes B y J a m e s m c c a r t h y F O C U S

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