The Society of Plastic Engineers (SPE), one of the plastics industry’s largest trade organizations, has acquired ImplementAM, a Portland, Oregon-based company that organizes and facilitates one-day additive manufacturing (AM) workshops. ImplementAM was founded in 2022 by David Tucker, the owner of digital manufacturing consultancy New Wave Mfg, and Kristen Mulherin, the president of Women in 3D Printing, who first started working together at HP’s 3D printing division.
SPE is based in Danbury in Connecticut. This is their second 3D Printing Industry acquisition in 2023. SPE acquired the Paris-based 3Dnatives online news organization in February 2023. This is arguably the only 3Dnatives publication that caters specifically to an international audience.
ImplementAM offers small-scale workshops and conferences in settings that maximize the opportunity for teamwork and hands-on learning. ImplementAM is a good choice for companies that are new to AM.
In a press release about SPE’s acquisition of ImplementAM, SPE’s CEO, Patrick Farrey, said, “ImplementAM, SPE, and 3Dnatives align seamlessly in their mission to inform, educate, and advance the [AM] industry. We recognize that our stakeholders are growing in [AM] and 3D printing’s importance in processing and production operations. ImplementAM offers vital educational opportunities to explore this industry and its impact.” Tucker said, “Our goal with ImplementAM is to bring in-person workshops to the regions where people work and live. The day-long workshops we offer are usually held at local breweries, to encourage networking and a sense of fun. These workshops feature facility tours and interactive exercises as well as presentations by experts who discuss their own experiences, challenges, or successes. We strive to offer a dynamic learning experience.”
Corporate synergy is always a hot topic. This acquisition by SPE and its acquisition of 3Dnatives represents perfect synergy. 3Dnatives, a webinar provider, can now take advantage of its strengths by expanding into meatspace events. ImplementAM, a 3D printing tradeshow company, will expand internationally.
This acquisition, even if you include the fact Mulherin and Tucker founded this business on the basis of their previous experience working together at HP highlights an intangible benefit of the AM sector which I highlighted in my recent recap of Formnext Forum Austin. The camaraderie that characterizes 3D printing professionals is a phenomenon that cannot be overstated, and not only at a national level but also on a global scale.
If 3D printing is the most technically mature of the Industry 4.0 technologies — and I think it’s hard to argue otherwise — then 3D printing is already playing a role in centralizing all those technologies into a new industrial landscape. I’ve written countless times in the last couple of years about how important a factor that will be in shaping the AM sector’s evolution going forward.
As the AM sector grows into a full-fledged industry, it will take its cues and lead from there. It’s not hyperbole to say that the lessons learned by other emerging industries from 3D printing are pivotal for the future of the world economy. As John Barnes has said, “We have to keep AM human.” That the relationships between people who work in 3D printing are as integral to its effectiveness as the machinery is one of the most optimistic lessons that all other emergent technologies could learn from the industry.
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