3D printing won't replace traditional manufacturing anytime soon says reporter Drew Turney in his TechRadar article "How 3D printing to order is changing manufacturing."

"If you can mass produce a spoon out of metal stamping, 3D printing isn't going to compete with that for a number of years," he says. What 3D printing can compete with: customized parts in low volume such as out-of-circulation spare parts.

"The costs of more accurate machines will be prohibitive to entry into the consumer market for the foreseeable future," adds Turney. "Of course, in many ways only one thing will drive change, and that's the price of goods.... Along with... ease of use, low financial and technological barriers to entry are giving small 3D printing operators a whole new world to discover."

"Made in the USA" means "all significant parts and processing that go into the product must be of US origin. That is, the product should contain no — or negligible — foreign content,” according to the Federal Trade Commission. The writer of "American Made: What is it & why it matters" reveals what "Made in the USA" really means:

1. We keep jobs in the U.S.. U.S. manufacturing plummeted from employing 19 million at its height to 12 million today, according to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What's promising is that for every manufacturing job created, approximately 1.6 jobs get created due to the ripple effect through suppliers and customers. For example, "in order to create one baseball bat there are: loggers to cut trees, truck drivers to deliver them to the mill, mill workers to create billets, truck drivers to deliver them to the factory to manufacture the bats, marketers to market them, and retailers to sell them."
2. We stay competitive. "Manufacturers in the U.S. perform two-thirds of all private sector R&D in the nation, driving more innovation than any other sector" (NAM). Innovation means the U.S. remains a leader in manufacturing.

A t-shirt that monitors your health, protective gear for firefighters that can withstand the hottest flames, military uniforms that can detect chemical threats, and even clothing that regulates your temperature — cooling you down in the summer or warming you up in the winter. Those innovations are exactly what the new national center Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute out of MIT might create. Started by the White House and Gov. Baker’s office, the $317 million initiative aims to innovate to benefit American troops on the ground. Also known as Advanced Functional Fabrics of America, the initiative exists thanks to "$75 million in federal funding, $40 million in matching funds from the state, and funds from industry partners" according to the WBUR article "Mass. Chosen To Lead National Textile Manufacturing Innovation Hub."

What politicians hope the institute will create: fabrics and fibers with a range of technical capabilities — from "being incredibly lightweight or flame-resistant to storing energy or having exceptional strength." Applications include advances in health care, military technology, wearable technology, and fashion. Simply put: leaders at the new institute hope to revolutionize textile manufacturing.

The new institute is the eighth manufacturing hub selected by the Obama administration for President Obama’s federal manufacturing initiative called the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation. "Massachusetts already has connections with two regional manufacturing centers — one for photonics and one for flexible hybrid electronics — but this is the first to be based in the state," says WBUR reporter Zeninjor Enwemeka.
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Nearly 90 businesses, universities, and nonprofits from across the country will comprise the initiative, including:

• The University of Massachusetts, providing expertise in flexible electronics and wearable technology
• Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, providing training for skilled workers
  
• Such companies as New Balance, Nike, Bose, and Intel.

"The institute will have a prototyping facility designed to help startups test their first products and scale up new technologies into full production," adds Enwemeka.

What the institute means for Massachusetts manufacturing
The new institute will boost the state’s manufacturing sector and innovation economy, officials say. MIT plans to get the initiative off the ground in six months.