Prof. Gideon N. Levy, Additive Manufacturing, Switzerland

Title
Additive Manufacturing - The Enabling Innovation Space - Past Present and Future
Abstract
Over 33 years ago, on 08.08.1984, Charles W. Hull filed the patent “Apparatus for Production of Tree-Dimensional Objects by Streolithography” US 4,575,330. A new area in manufacturing started. This event followed by the inventions of the SLS 17.10.1986 Carl R. Deckard, FDM, 30.10.1989 Scott Crump and the 3DP binder printing by Emanuel Sachs MIT 20.04.1993.  The slogan “Complexity for Free” (Terry Wholers) became reality.
Begin was polymers however; the immediate interest in metals printing came up.  Starting with the mentioned SLS and Binder Printing for metal powders. Already in 1994 Ralf Larson invented the EBM ARCAM patent US 5,786,562, nevertheless the first ARCAM EBM machine waited to the year 2012. The LENS®laser‐eng ineered net shaping metal powder system (DMD) developed at Sandia National Labs started in 1997; “Selective laser sintering at melting temperature”, US 6215093 by Wilhelm Meiners, 02.12 1996 was the SLM milestone. 
We can identify the following AM period’s time-line:
1980 - 1995     Pioneers
1995 - 2000        Rapid Prototyping Rapid Tooling
2012             Terminology: Additive Manufacturing by ASTM 
2000 – 2010     Early adapters
2011 - 2015        Euphoric Explosion DIY extrusion printers invasion
2016/ 2017      Recognized as a breakthrough, game-changing milestone in the AM on the way to wide industrialization. 
Joint research and industrial efforts with rewarding results. The polymer process move toward high productivity and away from the Laser as energy source. Metal fusion processes advanced TQM and Automation hence productivity and confidence.  Moreover metal parts manufacturing reduce cost and moves partially away from laser as well. Voxelization is the new term, object building is controlled voxel by voxel in polymers metals and ceramics. Material for Process and not process for materials became possible. Design and modeling allow an optimized safe “Virtual Production”. Moreover, the AM technologies found its use in Biomanufacturing, Medical applications and even building construction. 
The AM broad arena, with multi-technologies, multi-materials, multi-applications is much more dedicated, economical and reliable, hence: AM the Enabling Space for Future Innovations. The keynote paper will cover the latest state of the art in research and industry, point out trends challenges deficits as well as the great opportunities for the next years.
Biography
Prof. D.Sc. M.Sc. Gideon N. Levy is a long-term Fellow of the CIRP the International Academy for Production Engineering. He graduated the IIT – Technion, Israel Institute of Technology - (cum laude) in Mechanical Engineering (B.Sc. 1966), control engineering (M.Sc.1968) and manufacturing technologies (D.Sc. 1972). Currently he is active at TTA Technology Turn Around in consulting major players in industry education and research on AM. Prof. Dr. Levy’s career comprises simultaneous Industrial and Academic tracks. Activities mainly devoted to advance R&D in the Mechanical / Electronic / Manufacturing world with leading Swiss machinery industries (EDM equipment, packaging and welding systems) and academia institutions. Prof. Levy specialized in Manufacturing technologies, primarily Electro Physical &Chemical Processes (e.g. EDM ECM, AM, Laser etc.). Furthermore, in Machinery/Technology developments, Technology-management, Market – Product strategies, Key-accounts and Technology Transfer. Prof Dr. Levy holds numerous awards for his contributions to the field. He was listed in the TCT list of Top 25 Most Influential People in RPD&M. In 2008 he was the first to win the SME Rapid Technologies & AM Industry Achievement Award. Additionally, he holds the International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium FAME award, the VRAP Conference Career Award and the AMUG “Dinosaur” Awards.