Manchester was built on manufacturing.
But now can't find the talent to meet demand.
One University is trying to change that.
PrintCity was formed to introduce students and faculty members to additive manufacturing.
BRIDGING THE SKILLS GAP: INSPIRING MODERN MANUFACTURING
WITH PRINTCITY - MANCHESTER | UNITED KINGDOM
PrintCity is of course based in Manchester,
which is one of the original cities of the industrial revolution.
And the ghosts of the textile industry and heavy manufacturing surround us.
The key role of PrintCity is to go out to industry,
from SMEs right the way up to larger companies, multinationals.
57% of UK manufacturers think education is disastrous and needs an overhaul.
All of the people we speak to all come back with the same response.
They're looking for graduates who understand additive manufacturing
and how to bring that skill set into the company.
20,000 yearly deficit in engineering and manufacturing talent.
At PrintCity, we pride ourselves in being a multi-disciplinary, doors-open facility,
open to all students right across campus.
From the art school, to the business school, to engineering.
They all come in to incorporate 3D printing into their practice.
I'm Jack Thomas, and I studied here at Manchester Metropolitan University.
I got a BA in textiles before I moved on to
the Industrial Digitalization MSC course here in PrintCity.
and I now work here as a technical specialist in PrintCity for the PrintCity Network Project.
Textiles and 3d printing, to me they kind of go hand-in-hand with one another.
3D printing is just, it's another tool in the toolbox.
It's another process for people like textiles practitioners,
for fashion designers, for architects simply to use.
It's a process that can be introduced, developed, and built upon.
You can 3D print onto fabric,
but you can 3D print the fabric.
You can 3D print your embellishments, your fastenings.
There's a massive scale that you can achieve with 3D printing in textiles.
Industry practitioners come into us and come through PrintCity Network,
and we train and upskill them through our program.
We train them about many different aspects of additive manufacturing
and that usually includes rapid prototyping.
A good example of that is teaching them
about the new speed that additive manufacturing makes possible.
We can take something like a trainer,
and the prototype can be out in two weeks rather than two months.
I think that 3D printing has become more accessible over more recent years,
which has meant that we've worked with a wider range of companies,
which have led to unexpected outcomes.
In the near future, I think more companies will need skilled graduates to come into their space
to show them how additive manufacturing can be utilized
to a greater benefit within their company.
What do the industry experts think?
Fabricon Design is in Greater Manchester
and we operate from a 20,000 square foot factory.
We offer design, prototype, and full-scale production under one roof.
Our services include additive manufacturing,
alongside more traditional CNC machining.
We utilize the Markforged X7 to improve productivity in our workshop.
We design the part in our 3D software.
The part is then ready to be printed without further intervention by anyone.
We press a button on the X7 and walk away,
and when we return, the jig fixture is ready to be used on our CNC's.
We have collaborated with PrintCity at Manchester Metropolitan University
with the aim to narrow the skills gap.
PrintCity students can see how we integrate traditional manufacturing processes
with additive manufacturing.
We want students to have a real-world experience
by offering internships with Fabricon.
Markforged has become an integral part of our toolbox as manufacturers.
PrintCity graduates have been successful
in gaining employment in the region,
bringing their digital skill set to bear.
PrintCity was one of the first Universities to offer additive manufacturing courses
and pave the way in bridging the skills gap.
PrintCity started six years ago.
One member of staff, an old lathe room we cleaned up.
We added some 3D printers.
We've now grown into our own facility, around about 24 members of staff.
A major research facility in the University. Over 60 3D printers.
Attitudes are definitely changing, and the culture is shifting.
BRIDGING THE SKIILS GAP