William “Dallas” Martin Takes the Helm at AMUG: A New Era for Additive Manufacturing

William “Dallas” Martin, a seasoned veteran in the additive manufacturing (AM) industry, has been elected as the new president of the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG). With a career spanning over two decades, Martin's journey in AM began in the late 1990s, setting the stage for his influential role in shaping the future of the industry.

From Humble Beginnings to Industry Leadership

Martin's foray into additive manufacturing started in high school when he was introduced to the technology by John Donato at SRT Chrysler. Intrigued by the possibilities of 3D printing, he pursued a degree in mechanical engineering and began his career at D&B Plastics. His early experiences with plastics and mold design ignited a passion that would define his career.

"I’m a mechanical engineer, but I really like plastics."

After a stint at Leonardo DRS, where he printed components for the Minuteman program, Martin joined Johnson Controls. There, he built a large additive lab in Kentucky and honed his skills with early FDM and SLA machines. His journey eventually led him to Toyota in 2016, where he currently serves in production engineering.

Building a Legacy at Toyota and AMUG

At Toyota, Martin has been instrumental in expanding the company's additive capabilities. He has overseen the development of one of the largest additive labs in the company, equipped with 30 large industrial printers and supporting a global network of 300 printers. This setup allows Toyota to reduce reliance on outsourced vendors and become more cost-competitive.

"We’re actually becoming an internal supplier to Toyota so that we can reduce the burden of outsourced vendors."

Martin's vision for AMUG is to create a more efficient and collaborative environment. He aims to leverage the process efficiencies used at Toyota to streamline AMUG's operations and foster a community where both seasoned professionals and newcomers can thrive.

"I want to make AMUG a place where everybody can play together: if somebody’s very focused at a PhD-level in a subject and somebody else is very new to it, they can still meet and understand each other."

Challenges and Opportunities in Additive Manufacturing

Martin identifies adoption and confidence as the biggest challenges facing the additive industry today. He believes that the lack of advanced software tools has hindered the full potential of hardware advancements. To address this, he emphasizes the need for a partnership approach, where feedback is shared openly to drive innovation.

"We need to share feedback on a partnership level, not like, “I’m your customer so do this for me,” and I’ve seen a lot of success with that at Toyota."

Looking to the Future

Despite concerns about economic uncertainty and material supply, Martin is optimistic about the future of additive manufacturing. He is particularly excited about the next generation of engineers, who are more digitally oriented and expect greater automation.

"I’m really excited to see the next generation because they’re so passionate."

Advice for Young Engineers

Martin offers valuable advice for young engineers entering the field: focus on finding your passion and don't feel limited to 3D printing roles. He encourages them to attend AMUG to experience its unique collaborative environment and learn from the industry's best.

"Don’t focus on the idea that you have to be good at 3D printing, because we need technicians, we need strategists, we need people that understand how to set up production."

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