Additive Manufacturing is the Future

By Carl Hilliard

Additive, or 3D, manufacturing is the key to bringing back jobs to San Diego County, a lot of better-paying jobs, from overseas.

"Large, smelly assembly lines that suck up resources and belch air and water pollution are on the way out," says Hilliard, a candidate for the Third Supervisorial District. "And the quiet, but huge, manufacturing revolution that uses only computers and the Internet to build products will replace those assembly lines."

With additive manufacturing, anyone from individuals to small businesses to bigger businesses can turn virtual models into physical ones by using computer-aided design or animation-modeling software. The process involves adding thin layers, a layer at a time so just enough material is used to make a part -- nothing more, nothing wasted.

To get an additive manufacturing business going doesn't require extensive capital investment. Small spaces, like home-based operations, can work just as well as larger ones. The requirements are simple, basically a computer, the software to run it, and an Internet connection.

The rewards are great:

• It's a job market waiting to be filled. And the jobs pay better.
• It's resource-smart and pollution-free. Additive manufacturing uses no large quantities of water or electricity. And it promotes a greener world since the process releases no pollution.
• It accommodates faster response for greater customer satisfaction. Changes and improvements can be accomplished quickly, right on the keyboard, so many evolutions in a product can be achieved in a short time span.

Carl Hilliard knows a smart business idea when he sees one. After all, he grew a successful and innovative telecommunications company into a 165-employee operation right here in San Diego County.

To learn more, go to http://www.hilliardforsupervisor2012.com.