Siemens Launches Online Additive Manufacturing Network

Siemens recently launched the Additive Manufacturing Network, an online collaborative platform designed to bring on-demand design and engineering expertise, digital tools and production capacity for industrial 3D printing to manufacturers globally. Originally planned for rollout in mid-2018, the platform was launched on April 23, 2018, with an early adopter program for designers and engineers, manufacturing service providers, 3D printing machine OEMs, material vendors and software providers.

The goal of the Additive Manufacturing Network is to reduce the overall adoption risk of additive manufacturing and create new business opportunities. 

“The Additive Manufacturing Network augments our leading Digital Enterprise portfolio, where we combine the real world with the virtual world,” says Jan Mrosik, CEO of the Digital Factory division of Siemens AG. “It offers the additive manufacturing industry a place to co-create, co-innovate and come up with completely new business models.”

The platform is designed to create an open ecosystem that instantly connects highly-qualified members to co-innovate and help to realize new products using the latest software tools, printing technologies and materials for additive manufacturing. Part buyers and manufacturing service providers have access to streamlined collaboration, quoting, procurement and order monitoring processes. This is said to facilitate the design of products for additive manufacturing, the replacement of physical inventories with digital inventories, as well as the economical scaling of 3D printing production.

The early adopter program is currently accepting new partner applications. Current partners include EOS (and its consulting unit Additive Minds), Stratasys and HP. Platform users have access to collaboration with each of these partners, including HP’s Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing technology providers, experts and tools.

“Collaborating with a vibrant ecosystem of industry leaders and startups is a necessary element for building knowledge and accelerating new innovative solutions to scale,” says Zvi Feuer, senior vice president of manufacturing engineering software with Siemens PLM. “Our platform provides a unique capability to accumulate, store and reuse knowledge that can be utilized by diverse participants.”