How to grow your career in 3D printing

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The Indian manufacturing sector is soon going to join the top five manufacturing sectors of the world. The Government of India is providing the much-needed impetus by the Make In India initiative launched in 2014. Besides the conventional sectors, new sectors like 3D printing are also making a significant impact. Although 3D printing technologies have existed for a long time, automated 3D printing is the new trend.

Every growing technology brings with it job and business opportunities. However, to be able to make the most out of the new technology, one needs to have information about the different aspects related to it. In this article, we will tell you about:

  1. Market Scope Of 3D Printing
  2. Types of 3 D printing jobs available in the market
  3. How to learn 3 D printing
  4. Indian Companies that offer jobs in 3 D printing

Don’t know what 3 D printing is, how it works, and where it is being used? Read our previous article on 3D printing to know more.

Market Scope Of 3D Printing:

3D Ultimaker ranks India 12th on the global ranking with an above-average index score of 68. This means India isn’t yet fully developed in the 3D printing sector but is quickly growing.

Besides 3D printing, automated 3D printing is also growing at a fast pace. Automated 3D printing refers to the application of robotic arms and other electronic system technology to carry out 3D printing tasks without human intervention. The global automated 3D printing market is estimated to grow to $9.9 billion by 2030, showing a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 38.5% despite the Covid-19 induced slowdown.

Indian IT giants such as Cognizant, Mindtree, and Infosys have recently announced that they are working towards expanding the 3D Tech in India. This will open the gates for various job profiles. The most important ones are discussed below:

1) 3 D Product Design: These jobs are for designers who can translate an idea into a tangible product. It has opportunities for freelancers as well as in house corporate designers. Design graduates have a great scope in this sector.

2) Computer-Aided Design ( CAD) modeling: 3 D printing isn’t possible without the work that CAD designers do. They prepare the 3 D blueprint for the product design given by the 3 D Designer. This design is fed into the 3 D printer which then prints it.

3) Research and Development ( R&D ): R & D Professionals understand the intersection between technology and consumer demands. The work done ensures that quality products are available at the lowest cost possible.

4) Biological and Scientific Modelling: 3 D Printing is not just used to create consumer products. It is also used to create prosthetic limbs, tissues, defense equipment, and even space tools. This requires engineers and designers who have a scientific or medical background.

5) Lawyers and legal professionals: 3 D printing is not only creating jobs in the technical field. As the technology booms, there will be a greater chance for copyright infringement everywhere. This has created a demand for lawyers in Intellectual Property Law.

6) Architecture and Construction Modelling: Instead of 2 D modeling on paper, 3 D CAD designs can be used to create scaled and sophisticated models of architectural designs.

Boost your skills with online courses:

There are a plethora of online courses available to help you learn 3 D design and CAD modeling from scratch. Besides, there are online as well as offline courses for IP law.

3 D Design Courses:

1) 3 D design using Fusion 360 on Udemy: Learn the skills to design models on your own for 3D printing using Autodesk Fusion 360, powerful and free software for 3D design. The course is great for beginners. No prior knowledge in 3D design is necessary.

2) 3 D Printing using Blender on Udemy: In this course, you will be able to learn the methods and techniques to design, model, and export your own unique 3D models for 3D printing.

CAD Courses online:

1) Top AutoCAD courses on Udemy: A list of courses for learning AutoCAD from scratch to professional level. Learn to make and edit your own AutoCAD Drawings, Plans, and Layouts.

2) CAD courses on Lynda: Learn to create drawings, prototypes, and manufacture-ready parts using computer-aided design (CAD).

3) Free course by Autodesk: Whether you are a novice, expert, student, or professional, Autodesk has a training path for you. Options range from free tips and tricks, videos, and self-service courses to paid services from professionals and certified instructors.

Online Diploma in IP Law:

If you are a working professional and can’t attend a college program then these are some of the best distance learning programs and online courses:

1) Online distance diploma by WIPO

2) Learn Intellectual Property Law online on edX

Top 3 D Printing companies in India:

There is a multitude of new startups and well-established companies that offer personalized service to individual customers as well as to the big names in architecture, defense, and the biomedical industry. Some of them are:

1 ) J group Robotics: The company offers 3 D printers, on-demand services, 3 D printing material, and 3 D printed products.

2) Stratasys global: They design finished products and offer testing facilities for new products.

3) Altem : Headquartered in Bangalore, Altem Tech boasts of collaboration with the automobile, defense, electronics, architecture, aerospace, and automobile companies.

4) Think 3D: Founded by Indians, it is headquartered in Singapore and has a presence in India. It has Microsoft, ISRO, Pepsico, and Shell among others in its client list.

Besides working as a full-time employee for 3D printing company, you can also offer your services as a freelancer by contacting clients on different freelancing websites like Upwork and Freelancer.

3D Printing professionals can earn from 3-6 lacs per annum to 15 lacs per annum depending upon the company and job profile. Since it is a developing sector, salary statistics aren’t very accurate. However, job opportunities are abundant and competition relatively low.

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Nitika Garg
Entrepreneur | Senior Content Writer | Technical Writer | Startup Writer She is a software engineer by education and content writer by passion. She has 8+ years of overall experience in the industry. She has written 300+ articles in different domains. She has graduated from “Iron Lady Corporate Leadership Program for Women Leaders” which is recognized by TISS, Mumbai.