from the editor
TESTING TIMES
In contemplating what goes into an editor's letter at this moment in time, I had promised myself I'd steer away from the news topic dominating the headlines. After all, starting on page 12, Laura's excellent coverage of the additive manufacturing industry's reaction to COVID-19 goes into a lot more detail than I ever could. However, by mentioning the pandemic in that first paragraph, I've broken my promise and seeing as the horse has bolted, I may as well continue. I was planning on signing this letter off with something like, "I hope all our readers and their families are safe and sound," but that feels empty, and now is not the time for flippancy. Some basic maths, taking into account our readership and the current curve of the infection rate, the likelihood is that not everyone's family is safe and sound. There will be some of you reading this whose lives have been affected in irreversible ways, and for you, I'm angry. Angry at the slow responses from governments around the globe; angry at the people flouting curfews and lockdowns; angry at panic buyers; angry at some company's behavior towards their staff; angry at some of the ambulancechasing profiteering. Writing an editor's letter and editing a magazine about additive manufacturing at a time like this feels futile. That being said, you could spend your time becoming bitter and twisted at a situation that is out of your control, or you could choose to see some of the positives and examples of community shining through. For every nitwit buying up hand sanitisers looking for a quick buck, there's a company like BrewDog retooling its plant to make hand gel to disperse for free. As I'm composing this, I see the news breaking that 405,000 people have volunteered to assist the health service in the UK. There are positives to try and cling to. The long-serving AM members we're not getting to see this spring at AMUG or RAPID + TCT have always been known for their willingness to help and share information. The response you'll read more about in Laura's piece is proof that, despite AM's unprecedented growth, the spirit of community still exists. We believe we have an innovative solution that is quick and flexible, perfect for the manufacture of bespoke medical devices and short runs. And if we're honest, we also have bags of latent capacity. The mainstream media has been lapping the 3D printing of PPEs and ventilator parts up; let's hope that if there is any light at the end of the tunnel, additive manufacturing has proved to be a viable technology by doing the ultimate and saving lives. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, stay indoors unless absolutely necessary and be vigilant about yours and everyone else's safety. I'm stealing a line from the Kermode and Mayo podcast here that I like, and hope is true: "Everything will be alright in the end, and if it's not alright, it's not the end."
DANIEL O'CONNOR HEAD OF CONTENT
28.2 / www.tctmagazine.com / 05
