The SPE Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Chapter on Its Work to Promote Plastic 3D Printing
At this point, you have almost certainly heard about the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). But did you know that there is an SPE Chapter dedicated entirely to additive manufacturing and 3D printing? We had the opportunity to speak with three of the members to learn more about it!
One of the biggest obstacles to adoption of additive manufacturing is undoubtedly a lack of education. This is one of the main purposes for which the SPE Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing chapter was formed: to help those working in the plastics industry to adopt and understand how these processes can benefit different industries. In this video interview, we had the opportunity to delve into the subject in a more in-depth manner.
We start off with Jay Dinsmore, the current Chair of the SPE Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing chapter. He first delves into SPE and its history, as you may know, the professional plastics association was founded in 1942 and today has over 60,000+ stakeholders in over 84 countries. Its tagline “inspiring plastic professionals,” shows clearly the organization’s motivation: to help those working with plastics, uniting them and helping them to succeed and strengthen their skills. It also has a number of chapters, ranging from regional bodies to ones that deal with more specific topics like 3D printing.
A Closer Look at the SPE Additive Manufacturing Chapter
From here, Jay explains the chapter’s affiliation with SPE. More specifically, he delves into the importance of education and how they are working to bridge the gap between those working in the traditional manufacturing side and others in the additive manufacturing and 3D printing side and bringing them together.
Even well-established experts in the plastics and traditional manufacturing sectors are not always aware of what 3D printing is and how it can bring benefits to different processes. Similarly, those in additive manufacturing can always benefit for even deeper knowledge from true plastics experts, as both are moving to advance their fields. This is where the SPE Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing chapter comes in, according to Tuan Tranpham, the President of the Americas and Asia Pacific for Anisoprint and an important member of the chapter. .
Another highlight of the SPE Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing chapter, as highlighted by Jay and Krysten Minnici, the treasurer of the chapter, is the events. These are incredible opportunities to learn from other professionals and get the knowledge needed to really push ahead in plastic 3D printing. And there are even a few coming up, especially educational ones, as the chapter will be piggybacking off the ImplementAM initiative to teach especially professionals in the plastics industry about where additive manufacturing is and how it can be implemented into a business workflow.
What do you think about the SPE Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing chapter? Are you interested in joining one of their upcoming events? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.
