Early on in the essay planning stage, I discussed the core structure of the report with my supervising lecturer. We outlined key areas of interest which would form the chapters of the report, which we then assigned an approximate proportion of the report’s word count. These proportions varied as the report was developed, but I found it useful to have an idea of the depth I could explore each section whilst staying roughly within the word limits available.

Another new technique used for this learning goal, was to write an early draft report halfway through the module, under exam conditions. With such a vast research topic, I found that one relevant article or paper would lead to another and another and so on. My supervisor suggested that we select a deadline to stop all researching and at that point to write the first report draft within a few hours, without any internet or library resources, relying only on the research notes I had made to that point.

This exercise was useful as it confirms how much was gained from researching in a  short space of time. By drafting the report halfway through the module, I had plenty of time to refine and improve it, and the work became more manageable and less stressful. It is certainly a technique I will employ in future learning goals.

Further to my previous post regarding the TCT article posted by Laura Griffiths, I wanted to further explore the role which software provider Identify3D are playing in digital manufacturing security and what direction this sector is taking to maintain digital assets.

Their three stage ‘Protect, ‘Manage’ and ‘Enforce’ range of software, aims to capture, encrypt and license digital manufacturing data, from CAD/CAM data, licensing, commercial contracts & production information.

By securing this ‘digital thread’ which tracks a design, manufacturing and deployment, Identify3D can provide their customers with exact knowledge of how, where, when and by whom their parts were manufactured.

The company are expanding into a variety of sectors and already have SLM, Renishaw and EOS as partners.

I reached out to their Head of Business Development, Tim Rose, asking if he would be willing to answer a short questionnaire for my research purposes, which I’ve listed below;

– How did business start / what led to the company’s creation?

– Do you see a trend towards increased awareness of cyber-security and asset protection in the manufacturing sector, similar to those seen in IT, Finance, Utilities, Defence and similar sectors.

– Are manufacturing companies now actively seeking out services of companies like yours, or is it still on experts to convince them of this requirement?

– Do you believe there is any scope for updated and improved digital manufacturing file formats to aid with security?

– Where do you think the most innovative research into digital asset protection is currently being performed / Are there particular schools whose research you keep track of?

– One topic I’m hoping to explore further is the validation of files, checking if a 3D printed part matches the design intention and to check for any outside interference. Are there any particular tools or techniques that your staff would use for this sort of task?

– What are the biggest hurdles to the better protection of digital manufacturing property.

Finally, as most of my research and document access is based on European libraries, are there any ANSI standards that are particularly applicable for your business?

This week, whilst reading further into manufacturing specific cyber-security concerns, I came across the following TCT magazine article, written by Laura Griffiths.

Maintaining the Digital Thread – From Augmented 3D printing to Blockchain

One chapter caught my attention in particular, where the article touches on using Blockchain networks to securely host and transfer manufacturing data from designers to 3D printing service bureaus, focusing on Link3D’s flagship product ‘Digital Factory’.

In theory, the process could be revolutionary for digital manufacturing, where secure records of data transfer and modification are stored across a network of peers. The technology is most widely known as realising the recent rise of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, but the core technology could have far wider reaches than just the financial sector.

I plan to explore this idea further, which could form the basis of my proposal for the submission for this module.

Welcome to the blog, over the course of the next three years, snippets of my coursework, reflections or useful resources will appear here.