MIT’s Professional Education department has officially added “Additive Manufacturing: From 3D Printing to the Factory Floor” to its Short Programs list.
The course is targeted at manufacturing and design engineers, as well as professionals seeking a full MIT experience in a condensed timeframe.
“Additive Manufacturing: From 3D Printing to the Factory Floor” is scheduled for July 21 – 25 on MIT’s campus in Cambridge, Mass. and will be taught by John Hart, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Mitsui Career Development Chair. Enrollment is now open to qualifying professionals from the US and abroad via MIT’s Professional Education website.
“[The course] will focus on a comprehensive overview of additive manufacturing spanning from fundamentals to applications and technology trends,” said Hart.
“Additive manufacturing covers many application areas including aerospace components, electronics, medical devices, architectural designs and consumer products. Participants will take part in lab sessions that will provide a hands-on experience with a variety of state-of-the-art desktop 3D printers.”
3D printing, once considered the sole the purview of DIY Makers and professional engineers, has clearly entered a new and important stage for the masses. Indeed, analysts at Juniper Research predict sales of consumer 3D printers will increase from around 44,000 in 2014 to over 1 million units by 2018. Meanwhile, analysts at Wohlers Associates project a significant increase in the sales of 3D-printing products and services from $2.2 billion in 2012 to approximately $6 billion in 2017.
“The consumerization of 3D printing has brought about all sorts of possibilities for businesses,” said Adam Thilthorpe, director of professionalism at the Chartered Institute of IT (BCS). “Its biggest selling point is the ability to design and create products, or even a single product to highly specific demands.”
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