We are looking forward to being a part of the AeroDef Manufacturing 2025 expo, to be held this year in Detroit, from April 8–10 (we're at booth #2231, if you are planning to be there). In addition to bringing together other companies that produce specialized technologies for the aerospace and defense industries, the conference is taking place as a show-within-a-show: the event and associated conference are being co-located with Rapid + TCT, a show focused on additive manufacturing.
We know from first-hand experience with our established KeyCreator customer base that the Great Lakes Region is home to many specialized contract manufacturers. This is of course no surprise given Detroit's historical role as the focal point of the domestic automotive industry. With so much specialized manufacturing experience and expertise in the area, this is a chance to showcase opportunities made possible by the innovation taking place in aerospace and additive. We look forward to being part of it.
Preparing Smaller Shops for Bigger Changes
One distinction between the aerospace and automotive manufacturing sectors is the purchasing influence and oversight that major federal agencies have, specifically the Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense. While this involvement does help spur innovation, the formalities and requirements of engaging in this more well-regulated market can create barriers for smaller independent shops. That is a key driver for our MBD/CAD file utilities Validate and Revision: to make accessible tools to help smaller scale operations participate in the advanced manufacturing sectors where model-based definition (MBD) processes continue to take hold. We look forward to the chance to discuss how these utilities can serve growth-minded shops at this event.
Responding to Change
Another driver of change across manufacturing in recent years is the increased role of additive processes and technologies. Design considerations for these are different than preparing for other processes: it is not uncommon that the producer may find efficiencies in model design that are not obvious to a design team unaccustomed to the full potential that additive processes deliver.
In such circumstances, where the problem-solving creativity of the manufacturing engineer/operator can deliver measurable differences in how efficiently a part can be produced, no tool offers more ability to manage the complete geometry of any model than KeyCreator direct CAD. We look forward to talking through what tools for model prep the industry is seeking, and to share KeyCreator's capabilities with folks looking to find new efficiencies from this process.
If you see the same potential for opportunity in the aerospace and additive segments as we do, perhaps you are planning to attend the event as well. We look forward to connecting with our peers and the community of manufacturing technology users driving these changes at AeroDef Manufacturing 2025 in Detroit this April — maybe we'll see you there.
