Mastering Additive Manufacturing Certificate

About the Program

The modern manufacturing supply chain, along with companies in industries as diverse as aerospace, consumer products, and bioscience are embracing additive manufacturing (AM) aka 3D-Printing. However, successful adoption of AM requires companies to rethink the way they “do business” within the manufacturing arena. Successful adoption of AM requires management level personnel to consider how to acquire/install new AM machinery & equipment, develop & attract talent, manage the company’s workforce, institute quality control, materials science, and data management in daily operations.

This non-credit certificate program will provide participants with the knowledge and experience required to successfully implement additive manufacturing in a way that creates new and enhanced value for their organizations.

Certificate Requirement

Classes will be delivered via video technology and will allow students to participate via home or work computers. The program also includes a limited number of labs that will be scheduled at a Penn State campus on a Saturday.

To receive a certificate, students must satisfactorily complete the four required courses and labs with a final grade of “C” or higher:

Design for Additive Manufacturing (AMD 5000)
Foundations of Additive Manufacturing (AMD 5001)
Additive Manufacturing Processes (AMD 5002)
Additive Manufacturing of Materials (AMD 5003)

Students not seeking the certificate are welcome to register for individual courses to increase specific workforce development.

Career Potential

We have a few manufacturing companies in the Reading, PA area who are looking into additive manufacturing. They are looking for applicants with experience in 3D Printing as well as those that can consider the advantages or disadvantages for the company.

Source: Burning Glass Technologies’ Labor Insight™ Real-time Labor Market Information tool.

Meet the Instructor

Joseph Sinclair is the founder of Solid Dynamics, LLC, a successful rapid prototyping firm in central PA. Joseph has spent years in the trenches of the Additive Manufacturing industry with positions at institutions that include Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratories CIMP-3D Facility and Imperial Machine and Tool Company. While at Solid Dynamics, LLC, he spent most of his time learning the strengths and weaknesses of his fleet of 3D-Printers to better understand where improvements could be made. This led to the creation of Solid Innovations, LLC and the first version of what has now become PerceptEngine, the Additive Manufacturing industry’s first automated monitoring platform. Joseph is currently working towards his Master of Engineering in Additive Manufacturing and Design at Penn State University.

Course Offerings

Design for Additive Manufacturing (AMD 5000)

Additive manufacturing offers tremendous flexibility in designing parts and new designs. This course will use Design for additive manufacturing (DfAM or DFAM) as an approach for understanding how to best utilize additive manufacturing. It is a general type of design method or tool whereby functional performance and/or other key product life-cycle considerations such as manufacturability, reliability, and cost can be optimized subjected to the capabilities of additive manufacturing technologies. The course will explore design methods for additive manufacturing including specific applications by industry and differences from subtractive manufacturing.

Foundations of Additive Manufacturing (AMD 5001)

This course introduces students to the history and development of additive manufacturing as well as current technology, the landscape of the market, and emerging trends and business models. It will also explore processes with a focus on the fundamentals of sintering and fusion of metals, ceramics, and polymers. In addition, it will focus on issues related to the materials used in each process and any additional considerations specific to those materials.

Additive Manufacturing Processes (AMD 5002)

This course will provide a study of the fundamentals, process characteristics, economics, and practical applications of various additive manufacturing processes. A comparison of conventional manufacturing to additive manufacturing will be provided. Upon completion students will understand the basic steps involved in creating a product created via additive manufacturing.

Additive Manufacturing of Materials (AMD 5003)

This course will expose students to the state of the art in understanding processing, structure, and property relationships in materials fabricated using additive manufacturing. Materials used in additive manufacturing include polymers, metals, composites, and ceramics, each distinguished by physical properties and durability. A focus on materials used in different industries will be provided. This course will also cover quality assurance including current applications and realistic expectations.