A3D Manufacturing is transforming the additive manufacturing market by leveraging world-class technology with a customer-centric approach.
A3D Manufacturing has set itself apart from its competitors by bridging the gap between prototype and production. The company’s extensive engineering experience and manufacturing capabilities allow it to successfully take a project from concept to completion while keeping innovation at the forefront.
“Clients come to us, so they don’t have to invest capital into manufacturing equipment and invest the time into learning how to maintain that equipment,” explained Moss. “We take that responsibility off of them, so they can focus on other important business needs.”
To further prove its commitment to exceptional customer service, A3D Manufacturing earned its ISO 9001:2015 certification. Organizations with this certification have demonstrated the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer regulatory requirements and aim to enhance customer satisfaction.
“Being ISO 9001:2015 certified is another example of our commitment to quality and transparency with our customers,” said Moss. “It holds us to the highest standards and guarantees customers that quality can be tracked throughout any step in the process.”
Growing to Meet the Demands of Customers
Being headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, has proven to be a beneficial location for A3D Manufacturing. Some of the benefits include the clientele in the area (i.e., automotive and aerospace), the proximity to major cities, and easy access to shipping. To continue to meet customers’ demands, the company plans to move to a new facility (also in the Phoenix area) in December 2023. The new facility will double its current size.
“Our new state-of-the-art facility will allow us to continue to grow and scale,” explained Moss. “A huge challenge in additive manufacturing that people don’t often talk about is finding the right space to house and power equipment so you can not only continue to grow but work more efficiently and deliver products to clients quicker.”
Investing in World-Class Technology
To continue to scale and grow, investing in new technology has been essential for A3D Manufacturing. The company has invested in Manufacturing Execution System (MES), supply change management software, a quote tool, and a CRM tool.
“We have done a lot of investments in technology this past year,” Moss said. “We are excited that the implementation phase is almost coming to an end so we can start to test some of these systems and see the ROI. The goal is to ensure we can get quality data from these tools and use it to be more efficient.”
Moss explained that one of the challenges the company has faced with new technology is integrating everything into one system so teams can work together easily and have a clear line of communication.
“The interconnectivity of it all has been a challenge,” explains Moss. “Advice I would give to anyone starting up a similar process is to make sure you do it in a phased approach. Invest time into training your team on the new systems and leverage data and analytics to simplify things and determine organized next steps.”
Creating Strong Domestic Partnerships
During their growth period, A3D Manufacturing noticed more clients seeking traditional manufacturing methods. The company was able to leverage Sustainment to help outsource traditional manufacturing methods to suppliers.
“Having a system like Sustainment helped us connect with suppliers and expand our capabilities,” said Moss. “It helped streamline the process of narrowing down a list of suppliers that have the expertise and quality products we are looking for.”
By creating opportunities for additive and traditional manufacturers to connect, both markets are able to gain access to knowledge and resources that will grow the industry.
Another key benefit is being able to partner with domestic suppliers.
“We are very fortunate to have domestic partners on the supply chain side,” explains Moss. “Especially after the pandemic, shipping internationally and dealing with customs became increasingly difficult. Finding cost-effective solutions without compromising quality was a concern for everyone. Finding domestic partners was another benefit of using a platform like Sustainment. We can proudly say our parts are made here domestically.”
The Future of Additive Manufacturing
According to the Business Research Company, the additive manufacturing market is expected to reach $34.22 billion in 2027. This expected growth is largely due to the increasing demand for 3D printing.
Key players in the market, like A3D Manufacturing, will continue to see success by focusing on solving customers’ critical needs, investing in new technology, creating clear lines of communication, deepening the expertise of their workforce through training, and creating a strong network of suppliers domestically.
“Additive has grown a lot in the last five to ten years,” said Moss. “We are excited to be a part of that growth. Some of the top industries our customers are in include aerospace, automotive, medical, and consumer goods. We believe additive will continue to grow in all spaces and excited to see more industry/applications enter the market in the coming years.”