Part 1: How are AM companies responding to the COVID-19 outbreak?

The COVID-19 crisis has introduced a lot of uncertainty for many industries around the world. Whilst the crisis is resolving in China, where it started, in other parts of the world this is far from being the case. Governments have launched measures to curb the spread of the virus that often require employees to stay put at home. Gradually, we are starting to feel the collateral impacts of such necessary measures – reduced production and consumption are affecting many sectors and will impact the economy greatly.

Nevertheless, one of the sectors that is anything but slowing down is the medical and healthcare sector. Hospitals and medical staff are under great pressure to treat the alarming number of COVID-19 patients that require medical assistance. An important issue is that global stocks of medical equipment such as masks, face shields or ventilators are not enough to meet the demand, leaving many staff and patients unprotected. It’s in this context that 3D printing companies around the world are helping, whilst at the same time having to remain on top of their own operations and keeping their teams safe.

The current pandemic is affecting almost everyone, and will have long-lasting impacts on the economy and supply chains for the future. How is the additive manufacturing industry holding up? To learn more, we talked to AM companies that wished to share with us how COVID-19 is affecting their activities, but also what they believe this means for the 3D printing industry as a whole.