An Ode to Additive

In February 2023, John Barnes opened up a panel discussion at Additive Manufacturing Strategies with a poem. I forgot the brilliance of poetry and thought it was an excellent way to capture an audience for a pending conversation. Since then, I’ve been waiting for my moment.

What you may know about me is that I have spent my career in additive manufacturing sales and marketing. What you probably don’t know is that one of my bucket-list items is to present a self-written poem during a poetry slam. It’s the combination of creativity and fear that I hope to challenge myself with one day.

As a marketer, my job is to creatively reach the target audience with effective messaging that influences action on behalf of my clients. I love what I do and sometimes, I get to really push my creativity and that’s the stuff that really gets me up in the morning. My “Ode to Additive” is my creative intersection between personal and professional paths. I took a swing and I hope that you enjoy the change-up.

Thank you, John Barnes, for the inspiration.

An Ode to Additive

Oh additive, oh additive, the industry that expands

Technologies, materials, promises, and hope

Oh additive, oh additive, the exaggerated demands

The endless cliches, platitudes and tropes

Industry Four point O

and the manufacturing revolution

The digitization of the factory

That reduces all pollution

The on-demand production

Of parts at the point of need

Or maybe it’s construction

At unimaginable speeds

We are an industry growing

Of that I am so sure

But what I am not knowing…

How will we endure?

Competition is abundant

With technology overlaps

Who is getting funded?

And who’ll have the last laugh?

Talks of consolidations

Mergers and acquisitions

Investor obligations

Stocks and strategic positions

Oh additive, oh additive, the industry that expands

The research, advancements, and use case applications

Oh additive, oh additive, you still have many fans

The engineers and enthusiasts that’ll last for generations

There are those who push the limits

On materials and designs

And those who’ll never quit

Coloring right outside the lines

We thank you for your service

And commitment to the craft

The ones that preserve us

Afloat on this funny raft

Impacting major industries

Like healthcare and dentistry

Or aerospace manufacturing

With state-of-the-art chemistry

High performance metal powders

Carbon fiber mixtures

Countless engineering hours

Dedicated to tooling, jigs, and fixtures

Oh additive, oh additive, the industry that expands

Cheers to the engineering experts, novices, and pros

Oh additive, oh additive, I believe we are in good hands,

With a healthy optimism with limitless unknowns

Ryan Hayford, Founder of Hayford Consulting, will be participating at the upcoming Additive Manufacturing Strategies business summit in New York, February 6 to 8, 2024. Hayford will be moderating “Panel 1: Post-Processing: State of the Art.”