Interview with Hargurdeep (Deep) Singh: 3D Printed Hand Project

Hargurdeep (Deep) Singh has 10+ years of experience in the Additive Manufacturing industry and has held various positions in research & development, engineering services, and management. He focuses on helping manufacturing companies take advantage of the latest digital manufacturing and industry 4.0 technologies. Deep has worked with numerous customers in a variety of industries to digitalize its operations. He is currently a Vice President of Advanced Manufacturing at CAD MicroSolutions Inc (Canada’s largest industry 4.0 value-added integrator) and a globally recognized thought leader in the Additive Manufacturing ecosystem. Before joining CAD MicroSolutions, Deep’s work in Additive Manufacturing / 3d printing has resulted in award-winning research and design. He is the recipient of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce Young Achiever Award; Brampton Board of Trades Top 40 under 40 Award; the ASME Innovative Additive Manufacturing 3D (IAM3D™) Global Challenge winner; OACETT Publication Award; valedictorian of Sheridan Mechanical Engineering studies; and has been featured in various magazines and media articles for his innovative projects. Deep spoke at our upcoming event focusing on Orthotics and Prosthetics for 3D printing.

Jenny: When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?

Deep: My first encounter with 3d printing was in 2012 during Mechanical Engineering Design and Drafting studies at Sheridan’s Centre of Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies (CAMDT) lab. It was the Z Corp gypsum powder 3D printer, and I was blown away by looking at the repetitive layer-by-layer binder jetting printing process of a full-color part. It was an incredible feeling to see the internal cross-section getting printed with a cubical lattices infill structure, and I could not believe that I am holding 3d printed physical part in just a few hours.

Jenny: What inspired you to start your journey in 3D printing?

Deep: The inspiration came from helping those who did not understand the potential of additive manufacturing. I fell in love with 3D printing techniques and processes. I enjoyed that additive manufacturing technology can create end-user applications that no other systems or technologies can fabricate with such complexity and customization. The process was easy and very creative. I started printing and designing useful projects to help others in need. Worked on exoskeleton hand project and helped people with disabilities by printing useful modifications.  

https://3dprint.com/93204/3d-printed-hand-project/

Jenny: Who inspired you the most along this journey in 3D printing?

Deep: I was inspired by all the additive industry leaders and from the work that Terry Wohler’s team publishes in the annual report. The main inspiration came from the different applications that I can see on how companies were leveraging additive manufacturing to reduce cost, increase profitability and innovate faster.

Jenny: What motivates you the most for your work? 

Deep: I am motivated to help Canadians succeed, and my work allows me to make this contribution on a national level. It’s very rewarding to see successful adoption and implementation of additive manufacturing technologies at our customer’s facilities and it’s even more rewarding to see that by using 3d printing our clients can remain competitive and break new grounds. In many cases, I hear that 3D printing is their secret weapon which allows them to solve manufacturing challenges in ways they could not have done using traditional processes.

Jenny: What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions? 

Deep: I would say that the status quo and traditional procurement process is the biggest obstacle in my line of work. I will hear comments like, we have always done it this way or do not want to change the current process. We also run into scenarios where procurement does not understand the equipment value difference when comparing technologies and can purchase outdated technologies. So, we try to make it easier for our clients to understand the benefits and help de-risk their investments by providing them with easy-to-use application-specific technologies. We also provide ongoing support they need for the successful implementation and adoption of the technology.  Customers can evaluate and validate the technology at one of our customer experience centers across the country. Our knowledgeable technical team and our industry experts are continuously providing insight through our marketing lead initiatives. 

Jenny: What do you think is (are) the biggest challenge(s) in 3D Printing/bio-printing? What do you think the potential solution(s) is (are)?

Deep: The biggest challenges in 3d printing are the equipment capabilities knowledge gap, inter-layer adhesion and the ability to design for additive manufacturing. I believe that optimization of the part for the process and breakthrough in a more homogeneous 3d printing process and materials will unlock the true potential of additive manufacturing.  

Jenny: If you are granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be? 

Deep:

1. Give a 3d printer for free to any 1^st time buyer 
2. Bless us all with long healthy life full of happiness 
3. 3 more wishes  

Jenny: What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advices you heard should they ignore? 

Deep: Follow your passion, become a subject matter expert in your area of interest and grow yourself by helping others. Always think of the solutions before thinking about the problems.  

Related Articles:

3D Printed Orthotics and Prosthetics (Course Link)

Crossing the 3D Printing Chasm: Bringing Optimization to the Masses

How AI and 3D Printing Enhance Crafting Custom Orthotics and Prosthetics