One of the greater challenges for implementing Additive Manufacturing in the industry is the education and training of the workforce:

Machine operators must learn how to handle the 3D printers’ special features for producing components that meet the high requirements of the market. Designers should learn to consider the additional benefits of Additive Manufacturing as early as in the development process to promote the technology out of the niche of spare parts business or the reworking of existing components.

For this purpose, numerous market participants offer further education and training on various topics. The search for appropriate offers is time-consuming and the offers are difficult or even impossible to compare. This is due on the one hand to often superficial descriptions of the training content, and on the other hand to the high degree of individuality of the offerings, which are to be developed for customers depending on their needs and prior knowledge.

MGA has recognized these issues and wants to help make the training landscape more transparent. This will support companies, venturing into the field of Additive Manufacturing, to get started and provide guidance in choosing appropriate training.

Based on this motivation, the networks working group “Education” has developed a modular training system that is designed to meet the different requirements of workplaces, based on the experience of various industry participants from all parts of the process chain, together with training providers and certification bodies. It is basically based on the process diagram of DIN Spec 17071.