3D-printing farm owners who want to grow their business will find themselves shopping for fleet management software to automate operations and rid themselves of piles of thumb drives and SDS cards to store G-code.
Their first step may be to figure out the difference among various programs that manage printers in a farm and other software for handling additive manufacturing (AM) workflow or entire manufacturing systems.
At its most basic, fleet management software automates printer operations in a farm. AM workflow software goes further and is for managing end-to-end workflows, from design to approval. Even more sophisticated, manufacturing execution system (MES) is used by businesses ranging from 3D-printing service bureaus to traditional manufacturers, suppliers, and part shops.
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SME is a nonprofit association of professionals, educators and students committed to promoting and supporting the manufacturing industry. SME helps manufacturers innovate, grow and prosper by promoting manufacturing technology, developing a skilled workforce and connecting the manufacturing industry.
