• Automation Alley To Compete With Service Bureaus Share this Article Automation Alleyis a Michigan-based innovation cluster trying to foster collaborative learning and development around technology and manufacturing.Project DIAMOnD (Distributed, Independent, Agile Manufacturing on Demand)is an Automation Alley initiative in on-demand production. • Connecting 3D printers and businesses, the project has gotten $22 million from Oakland County and Macomb County. • The project has purchased 550 3D printers to date. • The project said they cost $20,000 each. • The printers seem to be Markforged, but many images show colored objects that can´t be made by these printers, so maybe it’s a bunch of different ones? • I’m a bit confused by this, actually, since for $1 million, you could have funded a filament production line making low-cost materials in Michigan.

Article Summaries:

  • Automation Alley, a Michigan‑based innovation cluster, has secured $22 million from Oakland and Macomb counties to launch Project DIAMOnD, an on‑demand additive manufacturing initiative. The project has purchased 550 3D printers-estimated at $20 000 each-and is now opening its Digital Transformation Center (DTC) to commercial customers beyond its membership network. The DTC offers metal, polymer, large‑format extrusion, powder‑bed fusion, and directed energy deposition services with instant quoting and post‑processing equipment. Automation Alley’s COO says the move removes barriers to adoption, enabling companies to validate and scale production without owning a printer fleet, potentially reshaping the local 3D‑printing service market.
  • Automation Alley is a Michigan-based innovation cluster trying to foster collaborative learning and development around technology and manufacturing. Project DIAMOnD (Distributed, Independent, Agile Manufacturing on Demand) is an Automation Alley initiative in on-demand production. Connecting 3D printers and businesses, the project has gotten $22 million from Oakland County and Macomb County. The project has purchased 550 3D printers to date. The project said they cost $20,000 each. The printers seem to be Markforged, but many images show colored objects that can´t be made by these printers, so

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