How can additive manufacturing achieve serial production that is fast, repeatable and economically viable? This session will show attendees how distributed networks, shared data infrastructure and software orchestration can unlock scalable additive manufacturing, using Automation Alley’s Project DIAMOnD as a proven case study.
Attendees will learn about practical strategies for connecting multiple additive systems to function as a unified production environment. The presentation will detail how job distribution, print parameter standardization and quality verification can be automated across independent facilities to achieve consistent output at scale.
Project DIAMOnD, which is funded by Oakland County and managed by Automation Alley, links more than 700 industrial 3D printers operated by small and medium-sized manufacturers across Michigan. The network has completed more than 50,000 print jobs, including 8,000 serialized tourniquet clips for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, demonstrating true serial production through distributed additive.
Case studies from Michigan manufacturers will highlight tangible outcomes: • Zero Tolerance LLC reduced mold cycle times by eight seconds per run through printed tooling. • Air & Liquid Systems replaced $100 stainless components with $1 carbon-fiber parts. • Tucker Induction Systems produced end-use components that withstand real-world heat and stress.
These examples reveal how distributed additive systems can meet production-level demands while lowering cost, improving supply resilience and creating new pathways for small manufacturers to participate in high-value manufacturing ecosystems.
Learning Objectives:
Understand how distributed additive manufacturing networks can achieve serial production through software orchestration, job routing and standardized print parameters across multiple facilities.
Identify strategies and best practices for ensuring quality, repeatability and economic efficiency when scaling additive manufacturing from prototyping to full production, based on real-world case studies from Project DIAMOnD’s network.
