Summer holidays are always a great time to relax and prepare for an exciting new period of events and developments in AM – and especially for the busy autumn with lots of events such as the EHFAM, our MGA Annual Meeting, the InnoTrans and Formnext waiting just around the corner. At MGA, we couldn’t let a month go by without a little chat with our members to share insights on our Working Groups’ current topics. Our dedicated Working Group members work hard to achieve exciting results to advance our industry.

So, let’s see what they have been up to and what’s on their agenda:

August 7^th and 28^th

Digital Supply Chain

Digital Supply Chain (DSC), our most digital Working Group, began by mapping out the supply chain and addressing special requirements for Use Cases. Currently, we are developing a comprehensive and holistic AM-Decision-Tree to help companies implement AM correctly and identify solutions and services that fit their specific situations and challenges.

To make user stories conclusions visible in our AM-Decision-Tree, we will be meeting twice in the month of August to implement the necessary adjustments as more and more steps of the production process are being digitalized in the conventional supply chains.

August 20^th

RAILiability

After our June meeting in Paris at the SNCF, the seven European rail companies members of MGA are meeting again virtually this August. We have already printed ten-thousands spare parts for their rolling stock. One of the goals of the RAILiability Working Group is to provide a constant increase in the exchange of 3D-printed spare parts between users.

This month’s meeting will follow up on our efforts in developing use cases, materials, and technologies that enable new applications in the market.

August 21^st

Hospitals

There is no way around one of the biggest players in the medical sector when it comes to implementing AM in the daily business. Which is why we initiated the Hospitals Working Group, focused on the needs of physicians, nurses, technicians and the administrations of Hospitals around the globe. In the coming meeting, the team leads will provide an update on the current status of the multicentre study, including data collection progress, preliminary findings, and any challenges encountered. The discussion will also cover strategies for enhancing collaboration between the participating centres and plans for future phases of the study, such as expanding the pool of participating hospitals or adjusting methodologies based on early insights.

August 26^th

Approval in Rail

Several years ago, the Working Group Approval obtained official approval from German state authorities for the first safety-relevant component for a rail traffic system.

Now, we are heading for approval at the European level to raise awareness among the authorities and are happy to announce that we are about to reach our expected result. Parallelly, we are working on creating a guideline for the computational verification of PBF/LB-parts in the DIGIZug3D Project.

We will be meeting again this August to finalize the last steps of the approval procedure.

August 27^th

Pharmaceutics

The pharmaceutical industry is one of the few sectors already using AM in various capacities: from printing spare parts for machines to printing format parts and even printing medicine – the potential is huge. It therefore makes sense to offer pharmaceutical companies and their suppliers a neutral ground to further develop the impact of AM in pharmaceutics. This next meeting will focus on evaluating potential new projects within the pharmaceutics division. The team will consider various options, weighing factors such as market demand, innovation potential, and resource allocation. The goal is to identify and prioritize the most promising projects for future development.

August 28^th

Medical Approval

Approval processes in the Medical field – whether for materials, parts or processes – are even more complicated than in other industry fields. Which we as patients are grateful for, but as providers and users of AM find more than just a small challenge. That is why our Medical Approval Working Group divides the workload and for example jointly tackles the Medical Device Regulation (MDR). In the coming meeting, we will review and discuss the latest updates regarding the MDR Annex I and Annex II. We will cover regulatory changes, compliance issues, and any new guidelines or standards being introduced. Participants will also be able to address any outstanding questions or concerns and ensure alignment on the next steps for implementation or further development.

September 2^nd

Defense

The defence sector is on everyone’s mind at the moment, given the numerous global crises happening at the moment. More and more AM companies are involving themselves in printing for military endeavours, but gaining a foot in and understanding the industry is challenging. After a successful workshop as well as two in-person meetings focusing for example on legal aspects of AM in defence, our Working Group is meeting next to discuss the future topics and projects. Get involved now to pitch your ideas, projects and specific needs! There will also be a discussion on the next in-person meeting at the end of the year at a global defence player. We will be leaving room for private discussions after the meeting.

September 3^rd

Aero+Space

Our Aero + Space Working Group meetings are dedicated to aviation and aerospace manufacturing. While in the past, those meetings were strictly theoretical, we are now offering the chance to take a look behind the curtains at one of the largest aircraft manufacturers in the world: come and join us at Airbus in Stade, including a tour of the Airbus production line, a visit to the 3DHub Lab and insights into Additive Manufacturing at the CTC GmbH and Airbus. The deadline for registration is August 16^th, you can confirm your attendance by contacting Linus Tillmann. We look forward to meeting you at Airbus!

September 5^th

Ecological Sustainability

Ecological Sustainability worked on a white paper to answer the most common questions: where and why 3D printing is sustainable. We also invite keynote speakers to our Working Group to present their latest innovations in the sustainability field.

This August we will continue our discussion in a virtual meeting, to proceed with our scouting for the next Working Group project to develop. You can contact Jan Dittmann if you would like to join us for a greener future!