Yan Yongnian, professor and doctoral supervisor, was the first director of the Institute of Materials Forming and Manufacturing Automation at Tsinghua University and the first director of the Institute of Biomanufacturing at Tsinghua University. He is regarded as “the first person in 3D printing in China” by the industry.
Personal Experience
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In September 1956, he was admitted to Tsinghua University and graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering in January 1962, receiving a certificate for excellent graduates.
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From 1962 to 2007, he worked in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tsinghua University, serving as the deputy head of the department and a member of the Academic Committee of Tsinghua University.
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From January 1987 to October 1988, he was a visiting scholar at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
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He retired in 2007 and was recognized as a “university-level advanced worker” five times during his career at Tsinghua University.
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From 2008 to March 2012, he served as the general manager of Suzhou Kunlun Advanced Manufacturing Technology Equipment Co., Ltd. (Kunlun AMT) and Suzhou Kunlun Heavy Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Kunlun KHM).
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Since April 2012, he has been the chairman of Kunshan Yongnian Advanced Manufacturing Technology Co., Ltd.
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Since December 2012, he has been the chairman of Jiangsu Yongnian Laser Forming Technology Co., Ltd.
Main Achievements
He has undertaken and completed multiple key projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation, the National 863 Program, and horizontal cooperation tasks with enterprises. As the chief designer, he completed five sets of world-class heavy hydraulic presses urgently needed in China’s heavy equipment industry and national defense, transferring technology to help enterprises produce thousands of various hydraulic presses under ten thousand tons, creating a production value of several billion. He has achieved internationally leading research results in multifunctional rapid forming manufacturing systems and rapid forming manufacturing of large bone tissue engineering materials. He has received three second and third prizes for national scientific and technological progress, five provincial and ministerial awards, holds ten invention patents, authored and translated twelve books, and published 263 papers, including 21 indexed by SCI and 47 by EI. Over the years, he has supervised 35 doctoral students and 33 master’s students.
The Main Market for 3D Printing is in Aerospace
Since the advent of 3D printing in the mid-1990s, it has become a hot topic in research fields. This technology has applications in jewelry, footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries, education, geographic information systems, civil engineering, firearms, and other fields.
Currently, the United States accounts for nearly half of global 3D printing technology applications, mainly concentrated in the military industry; Europe accounts for about 40%, mainly in the civilian sector; while China accounts for less than 10%. This situation is due to the fact that China’s 3D printing was still in its “infancy” at the end of the last century and has not grown due to a lack of “nutrients,” while the United States successfully completed the industrialization process.
Although financing channels and ease of financing are not as good as in developed countries, 3D printing will not remain as dormant as it was over a decade ago, because national leaders have begun to pay attention to this matter, and the entire society’s understanding of industrialization is continuously improving. Professor Yan Yongnian believes that the key points for developing 3D printing are: first, the government needs to strongly advocate; second, establish some genuine industry associations; and third, and most importantly, develop application markets.
Professor Yan Yongnian proposes that the main market for 3D printing is in the aerospace field because “aerospace is an ever-thriving market.” There is a significant demand for 3D printing in the manufacturing of large structural components and precision parts. Additionally, the manufacturing of small precision components in industries such as manufacturing and healthcare is also an important application direction for 3D printing. Professor Yan Yongnian states that 3D printing has the characteristic of “what you see is what you get,” which provides considerable advantages in microstructure manufacturing.
The fundamental driving force behind research is application, and the key to developing 3D printing lies in its industrialization. How to solve the problems encountered in industrialization is a critical issue that future 3D printing researchers need to focus on and resolve, and it requires more researchers like Professor Yan Yongnian, who truly love 3D printing, to get involved.
References:
Baidu Encyclopedia
Laser Manufacturing Network. Yan Yongnian: The Driving Force for the Development of 3D Printing Lies in Application
3D Printing Online. Yan Yongnian: The Decade of Silence and the Decade of Revival of 3D Printing in China
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