Accelerate the development of advanced applications and innovative additive manufacturing solutions.

Innovation and Expertise

The Application Innovation Group (AIG) is a broad team of engineers and experts that enable our customers to adopt technology and solve their additive manufacturing challenges faster with a complete tailored solution. We have decades of experience across all technologies and broad experience in different industries and provide a state-of-the-art solution.

The AIG team collaborates closely with our customers to solve complex design and additive manufacturing challenges. These application requirements guide the hardware, materials, software, and services tools developed and deployed collaboratively with our team, accelerating and unlocking greater value and giving you a competitive edge, both as your organization grows with additive, as well as scaling towards production. 

We accelerate the development of advanced applications and innovative additive manufacturing solutions. If you are just exploring or have some experience in additive manufacturing, the AIG, regardless of the stage you are at, is here to help you get to the next level in your AM journey.

AIG Video v2
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Maximize your additive manufacturing investment by reducing the learning curve! Check out our printer operator trainings to quickly advance to becoming an expert operator of your specific printer!

  • Why Work With AIG

  • Improve Customer Outcomes

    • Improve return on investment
    • Enhance total cost of ownership
    • Increase efficiency

  • De-risk Development of Advanced Additive Applications

    • Benefit from an application development journey from exploration and implementation to qualification and scale
    • Reduce process complexity and risk

  • Accelerate Path-to-Market

    • Transition from prototyping to full scale production, faster and with less risk
    • Manufacture qualified products for critical applications in regulated industry

Our Professional Services

We are focused on solving challenging design and manufacturing  problems with additive manufacturing solutions. We are focused on delivering solutions to high criticality applications. We believe that the solution needs to be bespoke to the application journey as well as our customers’ journey in additive. What makes us unique is that we are not only a supplier of material, software, hardware, and services but we are key users as well. We live and breathe in the same industries and applications as our customers, allowing us to truly partner with them, to expedite path to market, remove risk, and improve ROI.

Read the customer story
Close up of Thales Alenia Space ETHM components

Your Additive Manufacturing Journey

AM Maturity

Full Strategic Application

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Departmental Application

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Experimenting and Testing

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Little Training/ No Training

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Identify Need

Joint Innovation

Prototyping

Low Volume Production

Full Production
    Application Maturity

Our Approach

From Exploration and Implementation to Qualification and Scale

Explore
Innovate
Develop
Validate
Produce
Scale

Explore

The Application Innovation Group aims to identify customer needs and opportunities for AM.  3D Systems’ application experts collaborate closely with you to funnel your needs into concrete AM application opportunities through a systematic screening approach to start working on a tailored solution.

2 people collaborating on a tablet in an industrial setting

Innovate

The learnings from the exploration phase are further leveraged in the innovation phase.  In this phase, 3D Systems’ application engineering experts work closely with you, offering support in defining a phase-gated blueprint for an application-driven and integrated AM solution of hardware, software, materials, and services. 3D Systems’ profound expertise in Design for AM (DfAM) enables customers to overcome technical product challenges or leverage the AM freedom of design to enhance part functionality and performance. 

Read about the innovation stage
Figure 4 Industrial Stacking

High density vertical stacking for Figure 4® industrial printing. A five step software workflow allows for saving time with high volume batch cleaning. High volume post curing is achieved in one step.

Develop

At this stage, the Application Innovation Group guides you through an application/product development process called Quality by Design, moving your application from pre-prototyping to a proven tailored and integrated AM solution meeting application requirements. This proof of concept is delivered based on the Quality-by-Design process, which includes developing and optimizing the AM product design, defining process workflows and Critical-To-Quality (CTQ) attributes. Delivering this proof of concept forms a solid basis for further validation.

Read about the development stage
3D Printing Helps Drive R&D at Renault Sport Formula One Team

3D Systems 3D printing solutions help formerly known Renault Sport, now Alpine F1 Team, overcome engineering challenges using SLA, SLS, and direct metal 3D printing for wind tunnel parts, investment casting patterns through to on-car parts to add driving speed between every race.

Validate

After the develop stage, the Application Innovation Group offers training, consulting and direct support for your qualification of the tailored and integrated AM workflow. The AM qualification process follows a risk-based approach through process validation, equipment validation, and product validation to reach a qualified production process for serial manufacturing. The Application Innovation Group relies on decades of experience delivering qualified AM products in heavily regulated industries like medical device and aerospace. Our training and qualification services comply with state of the art AM-specific and industry-specific standards and Quality Management System (QMS) practices.

Read about the validation stage
Hand with Point Designs partial prosthetic holding a white ball

One key AM-enabled feature that Point Designs uses is a live hinge, which is printed as an assembly in situ and allows rotation for more natural movement.

Produce

The Application Innovation Group is fully committed in assisting you through your complete AM Journey. This includes alpha launch and bridge manufacturing of your parts in our Advanced Manufacturing plants, based on the proven and repeatable workflows our Application Innovation Group develops in earlier steps. This flexibility gives you the chance to ramp up your applications at your own pace and with the potential to transfer production to your facilities or a preferred partner all within an ISO 13485, AS9100 and ISO 9001 environment.

Read about the production stage
Optimized spinal implant by NuVasive produced using 3D printing

NuVasive capitalized on 3D Systems’ expertise and the advantages of AM to go from design to market in just over one year with the 2017 launch of Modulus®—now a full implant line.

Scale

The Application Innovation Group collaborates with you to transfer the knowledge gathered through the process, along with the technology toolbox, to scale the solution to meet your business requirements, including starting full production at your site or at a certified partner. 

Read about the Complete Solution in Practice
Close up of Thales Alenia Space ETHM components

Brackets printed in LaserForm Ti6Al4V grade 23 titanium material.

Application Courses

Develop the skills to meet the challenges you encounter every day with our world-class application trainings. Our instructors provide an immersive experience where you can learn best practices on AM applications, design, and the printing process. 

  • Introduction to AM Process and Materials

    Provides a comprehensive overview of the Additive Manufacturing (AM) process, materials, and applications as well as awareness of key health and safety aspects for feedstock handling and AM operations to ensure a safe working environment.

  • Application Screening

    Workshop helps you identify which products from your portfolio are most eligible for Additive Manufacturing leading to cost savings, enhanced performance, or shorter time to market. 

  • Design for Additive Manufacturing

    Learn how to adopt an additive design methodology. Get a fundamental background on Additive Manufacturing technology principles and understand how this affects product design and manufacturability. 

  • Advanced Build File Preparation

    Understand thermal stresses in direct metal printing (DMP) and how to manage thermal stresses in DMP to improve part quality and reduce part scrap rates. Learn about savvy support strategies and advanced build file preparation practices preventing part deformation, defects, and build failures.

  • NoSupports

    This training provides a comprehensive understanding of the benefits and use of NoSupports for supportless metal printing. The training enables AM designers to create parts with greater design freedom, improved surface uniformity, while reducing cost and lead time.

  • Process Parameter Development

    Learn how to develop your own DMP process parameters for your alloy or application of interest. Deploy how to modify process parameters in 3DXpert and assessing the print quality.

  • Machine Health Management

    Minimize downtime of your DMP machine by learning how to monitor the machine health, how to troublshoot and conduct a root cause analysis.

  • Build Simulation and Build Inspection

    Learn how thermal and mechanical simulations can predict print quality and prevent design anomalies before the first print even starts. Learn to assess build anomalies with Build Inspection and take corrective actions to improve the part quality in future builds.  

Check out more!

Download our catalog to view our full offerings on application development trainings and services, and machine operator trainings. 

Download our Professional Services Catalog

Need printer operator training?

AIG is dedicated to application development training. In addition to helping you adopt additive manufacturing, we also have a complete set of printer operator courses available. Check out our Training & Knowledge page to discover how you can quickly become an expert operator on your specific printer!

View printer trainings
DMP Flex 350 Triple 3D printer at a high angle

  • 3D Systems’ Application Innovation Group is dedicated to solving your biggest design and production challenges, from identifying your needs to validating and scaling your manufacturing flow. We are looking forward to engaging with you on your AM journey. We are proud of our collaborations with leading research organizations, educational institutions and innovative companies to solve complex AM challenges, including:

    • Alpine 4 logo
    • EWF logo
    • ISMQS logo
    • General Atomics logo
    • KU Lueven logo
    • RMS logo
    • Airbus logo
    • Wilting logo
    • esa logo
    • ASML logo
    • nLight logo
    • Lucid logo
  • Download the Training and Services Catalog

  • We Offer the Most Comprehensive Solutions Portfolio in the Industry

  • ACS Custom print prep Figure 4 Standalone alternate

    Technology

    • Pioneer in 3D printing​
    • Full range of 3D printers to address AM needs in ​
      • Metal​
      • Plastic​
      • Wax
  • Materials Link Metal Category Page

    Materials

    • 130+ materials for a range of applications​
    • Continuous R&D and formulation innovation for specific needs​
  • a screenshot of 3D System's Cimatron software

    Software

    • Workflow expertise for additive​
    • Printing process and management software tools
  • 3d Systems Logo Customer Innovation Center

    Services

    • Applications Experts​
    • Advanced Manufacturing ​
    • Full service and support post-purchase​

3D Systems Is The Trusted Partner Of Industry Leaders In

Aerospace & Defense

Automotive
A dentist giving new dentures to a client

Dental

Jewelry

Medical Devices

Motorsports

Semiconductor

Turbomachinery

Service Bureaus

Learn more about how Application Innovation Group can accelerate your AM journey.

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  • Certified Parts Process in Highly Regulated Industries

    In highly regulated industries such as medical, energy, aerospace and defense, issues with validating and qualifying an AM production workflow can delay additive manufacturing implementation and its many benefits. Learn more about our Application Innovation Group process validation and support to accelerate your pathway to AM production.

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  • AM Production for Critical Applications

    Our decades of AM expertise provide a streamlined production protocol to accelerate your path to qualified AM parts. View the infographic to learn more about the applications we support, our track record of success, and our ecosystem of proven solutions.

    View the Infographic