3-D printing and the manufacturing renaissance

As Mohawk College announces plans to open a $2 million Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Additive Manufacturing, TIME magazine has a cover story on the renaissance of manufacturing and the rise of 3-D printing. "One technology may help foster a new wave of manufacturing outfits that will have as much in common with Silicon Valley start-ups as with the classic image of a factory," reports TIME. "The technology is called additive manufacturing or more colloquially, 3-D printing. Additive manufacturing involves what looks like spray-painting a metal object into existence. The 3-D printing process is attractive because it can produce parts in shapes that would be impossible or unduly expensive through traditional manufacturing methods. That helps engineers rethink designs and outdo their competitors."

Scheduled to open early next year, Mohawk's Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Additive Manufacturing will have students, faculty and staff working on applied research projects with industry partners. Mohawk's centre, funded by the public and private sectors, will feature two 3-D printers capable of creating metal and plastic prototypes and parts.