Advanced manufacturing is a burgeoning industry that promises to change our lives for the better. Innovators and researchers are constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in this field to provide us with cheaper and better products while eliminating waste.
Dr. Dean Bartles, President and Chief Executive Officer of Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group, Inc. (MTDG), is a pioneer in advanced manufacturing. The company is well-known for its commitment to developing and expanding the world of manufacturing in the United States.
We recently spoke with Dean about the fascinating field of advanced manufacturing and the impressive progress he and MTDG have made in integrating innovative technologies into manufacturing systems. And when Dr. Bartles started talking about the area and everything it entails, he was entirely in his element.
About The Pioneer
Dr. Dean Bartles’ career in the sector started right after he graduated from college. He began his career in military technology, where he worked as an Industrial Engineer for the Fairchild Republic Company for five years. Later, he joined General Dynamics Corporation, an aerospace, and military company, where he was mainly in charge of numerous industrial operations in Egypt, Turkey, and the United States. In his more than 30 years at GDC, Dr. Bartles raised revenues from $135 million to an incredible $600 million, demonstrating his devotion, competence, and enthusiasm for the craft.
Dr. Dean Bartles became President and CEO of MTDG, a parent corporation for both the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and Advanced Manufacturing International, Inc., in 2020 after holding several senior positions, most notably at the National Tooling and Machinery Association (AMI).
Innovation Through Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)
“It’s an amazing technology where you start with metal dust, and you hit it with a laser, and you can design and form pretty much any shape that your mind can imagine,” Dr. Bartles commented enthusiastically about additive manufacturing, or more commonly known as 3D printing.
Unlike the usual usage of 3D printing with plastic and items, he noted, metal additive manufacturing is taking the manufacturing sector to a whole new level. Additive manufacturing, a crucial technology of the future, is emerging to achieve production goals by producing more, better, and cheaper costs.
Collecting Machine Data to Grow the Industry
Dr. Dean Bartles also pressed the importance of data collection for machine builders and manufacturers to increase uptime and lower costs. Data can give us invaluable insight into machine performance to monitor production status, machine condition, predict any malfunctions, and help with the decision-making process.
Challenges Facing Advanced Manufacturing Today
Dean discusses some of the current issues confronting the business. One recurring problem is the capacity to develop a standard for all machines to communicate with one another. It is associated with the digital revolution and the emergence of smart manufacturing.
The concept of machine-to-machine communication can open up numerous opportunities for developing ecosystems that give accurate, up-to-date information on the manufacturing process, such as analysis, in-time warnings, maintenance notifications, and many more crucial features.
Another problem for advanced manufacturing is that smaller businesses have difficulty implementing these technologies due to budgetary constraints, slowing general acceptance. To assist in overcoming this problem, Dr. Dean Bartles established Advanced Manufacturing National (AMI), a subsidiary of MTDG that helps small-to-medium manufacturers (SMMs) modernize their businesses using the most advanced technology at the lowest possible cost.
AMI offers digital manufacturing technologies that are simple to integrate and run to assist SMMs in achieving profitability. Their industry experts, spearheaded by Dr. Dean Bartles, collaborate with SMMs to identify pain points and provide low-cost, simple, and quick solutions.
You can learn more about Dean Bartles on his Website. Are you a small or Medium Manufacturer? Learn how AMI can add value to your operations.
