Wednesday, February 19, 2025
TRIBUNES - Interview with Raphaël Criado, Worldskills 2024 runner-up in the additive manufacturing category
3D PRINT: How would you sum up your participation in the World Skills Championships?
Raphaël Criado: It was an adventure that lasted over two years, from the initial preparations in 2022 to the regional and then national competitions in 2023, and finally, the world championship in 2024. Of course, all of this took place alongside my studies. I first completed a BTS in Industrial Product Design, followed by a Bachelor's degree in Digital Engineering Project Management for Industry, in apprenticeship.
Thanks to these experiences, I was able to secure a job that I particularly enjoy: as soon as I finished my studies, I was hired by Airbus Helicopters as a Tooling and Additive Manufacturing Designer. Since then, participating in this competition has greatly benefited my day-to-day work, enhancing my ability to tackle challenges, develop alternative solutions, and handle pressure effectively.
3D PRINT: In your opinion, what are the key skills you need to acquire in order to design parts for additive manufacturing?
Raphaël Criado: There's a huge amount of technical knowledge to be acquired, whether it's about how the machines work, the properties of the materials, or the behaviour of the parts during printing. It's all the more difficult because the rules are different for each process. But once this knowledge is acquired, and you have mastered design software, you can exploit the full potential of the technology. For my part, what I learnt during my preparation for Worldskills is: think first about function, then about lightness, then about aesthetics.
3D PRINT: How do you see the adoption of additive manufacturing by industry?
Raphaël Criado: 3D printing is now well integrated into technical training programs. For example, at my training center, we had a fab lab with a wide variety of machines, allowing us to develop all kinds of projects. As a result, companies are now welcoming a new generation of young professionals who see additive manufacturing as just another method of producing parts.
The old debates are fading—between those who wanted to do everything with 3D printing because they had invested so much time in mastering it, and those who rejected it entirely out of fear that it would replace their jobs. Our generation has a more neutral perspective, which makes it easier to launch and advance projects.
3D PRINT: What advice would you give to young people interested in the industry but still unsure about their career path?
Raphaël Criado: I believe the best approach is to attend as many open days as possible. Today, most schools, universities, and technical training centers are very well equipped. In my opinion, visiting their facilities is the best way to discover a passion—far more effective than just browsing their websites.
Trade fairs are another great opportunity, as they allow you to speak directly with manufacturers. And, of course, I highly recommend that all students visit WorldSkills at least once, even just as spectators. Seeing all the different trades in one place provides plenty of inspiration and can spark new career ambitions.
👉 If you would like to meet Raphaël Criado and attend his talk at 3D PRINT on Tuesday 4 June from 10am to 11.15am ‘Maintenance: how does additive manufacturing enable an “on-demand” approach?’, don't wait any longer and request your free badge: