HP Innovation Journal Issue 15: Summer 2020 | Page 35

Acceleration of Change
Manufacturing
COLOR CORRECTION BY NATHAN KIPE
The fight
against
COVID-19
was a tipping
point for the
3D printing
industry.
BY MICHAEL C. KELLER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES WORRELL
AMONG THE MANY LESSONS industry leaders have
gathered during the COVID-19 pandemic,
reexamining supply chains and the sources of critical
supplies is one of the most pronounced. Mobilizing
to help meet the demands for personal protective
equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies turned
into a watershed moment for digital manufacturing
and industrial 3D printing. From the early stages of
the crisis, 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing,
provided critical local support to broken
global supply chains by bringing fast, sustainable
manufacturing of medical supplies closer to where it
was needed. Communities in need around the globe
benefited from scientific and technological innovation,
sustainability, and fast and flexible production
to get solutions and supplies.
HP was among the first to spring into action,
tapping its network of partners across sectors to
begin producing urgently needed medical supplies.
INNOVATION/ SUMMER 2020
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