There is a huge amount of knowledge and skill that is needed to get the most out of the 3D printing ecosystem. Whether you call it Reality Computing or Blended Reality, the fact is, one click printing and the promises of Star Trek replicator realities are not coming anytime soon. Without serious exploration of technical literature and engineering education programs geared towards 3D printing, 3D modeling and 3D scanning, progress will be limited. If you are not so great at teaching yourself, and you prefer more institutional instruction, though more institutions are adopting 3D printers at their schools, implementation often remains incomplete due to lack of a curriculum or degree program.
A good question to come back to or begin with in any field of study, is “where do you start?” Well, with 3D printing, most people learn by getting instructions for experiments on a wide variety of websites and becoming active on internet forums, such as instructables and reprap.org.
More and more schools are beginning to invest in 3D printing curricula and equipment. One, beginning January 20th 2015, the Roueche Graduate Center of National American University will offer an 8-course certification program which will cover “all job related production aspects of 3D printing technology from CAD design, 3D printing machine maintenance, leading engineering and technology in additive manufacturing, 3D printing and supply chain redesign, 3D printing additive manufacturing technologies, practical applications laboratory workshop, customized product development and commercialization, and managing corporate 3D printing entrepreneurship.”
According to Shane Patience, a chemical engineer and professor of 3D Printing Technology Applications to Manufacturing, “The application of 3D printing technologies to manufacturing is not well documented but is rapidly expanding into product development and supply chain.”
The class size is limited to 35 participants with classes meeting once a week for 4 hours for 6 weeks. Check out the following courses that aid in career, professional, and personal development for managers, supervisors, and workforce participants interested in pursuing business careers involving 3D printing.
- Innovation and Commercialization of 3D Printing Technologies
- International Marketing
- New Product Development & Management
- Services Marketing
- Strategic Human Resource Marketing
- Global Financial Markets and Institutions
- Managing International Trade
- Doing Business in Latin America
- Business Government Relations in a Global Context
- Managing in the Global Business Environment
- Corporate Social Responsibility in a Global Context
Remember, the more knowledge and skill you bring to the ecosystem, the more you will be able to explore and understand the relationship between the elements that make up the whole.
