Provided

Hod Lipson testifies before Congress April 24.

Hod Lipson, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, briefed Congress on the impact of 3-D printing technology on manufacturing April 24.

Lipson spoke at the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation congressional briefing hosted by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, and Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), co-chairs of the House Manufacturing Caucus.

Lipson said the rapidly growing technology is affecting almost every field, from aerospace and medicine to art and architecture, and even food and fashion.

“Though the 3-D printing market was only $2 billion in 2012 compared to over $2 trillion of traditional manufacturing in the U.S., the market share of 3-D printing is growing rapidly,” said Lipson. “The technology also has broader impact on new business models, new ways to improve education, new intellectual property and safety issues, as well as positive and negative environmental impacts.”

3-D printing tools can remove barriers for any size enterprise, according to Lipson, who recently co-authored with Melba Kurman the book “Fabricated: The New World of 3D Printing.”

“The technology allows large corporations to innovate faster, and medium corporations can use it to integrate into the supply chain with smaller investment,” he said. “The technology also reduces the upfront cost of starting a new businesses, allowing people to ‘scale up from one’ without quitting their day job.”

While the Unites States appears to lead in some areas of the technology, Lipson warned that the rest of the world is catching up. “Europe is leading in metal 3-D printing, and according to Wohlers Associates, the Chinese government is investing $242 million in developing the technology, as well as in seeding 100 ‘hacker spaces’ to provide public access to the technology,” he said.

To stay ahead, according to Lipson, the United States must invest in the technology’s future. “We need to develop new printing technologies, new materials and new design tools, as well as explore new business models that take advantage of the technology’s unique capabilities,” he said.

Robert Emro is assistant director of communications in the College of Engineering.