I’ve seen Jason Lopes, lead systems engineer for Legacy Effects, speak at AMUG for the past couple of years.  His presentations are not to be missed. He is inspiring in the number of ways he and his team use many types of 3D printing and additive manufacturing systems, and they are always crunched for time, so it is fun and fascinating to see how he uses this equipment to meet deadlines. If you plan on going to this year’s SME 2014 RAPID Conference & Exposition, be sure to attend Lopes keynote address.  Lopes will showcase how 3D printing and scanning have been cast in recent blockbuster hits like “Iron Man 3,” The Hunger Games,” “The Bourne Legacy,” “Pacific Rim” and 2014’s remake of “RoboCop,” which combined have grossed over $1 billion domestically.

“3D printing and scanning have completely altered the way today’s movies are made,” said Lopes. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to present on the evolution of special effects as a major component of the filmmaking process, as well as provide a visual demonstration by bringing RoboCop back to Detroit.”

Joining Lopes as a main keynote presenter is industry influencer Terry Wohlers, principal consultant and president of Wohlers Associates Inc. Wohlers, who publishes the annual industry report on the state of additive manufacturing and 3D printing, will discuss additive manufacturing and 3D printing as it pertains to the unprecedented attention that the industry has received from national governments, institutional investors and large corporations.

“Additive manufacturing and 3D printing have been around for more than 25 years, and yet, recent interest and excitement has developed in a way that we have not seen before,” said Wohlers. “A lot of misleading information is being shared, so I plan to separate fact from fiction, and breakdown the specific developments that led us to this heightened interest. I will also provide a perspective on the future of this fascinating and fast-growing industry.”

In addition to Lopes and Wohlers’ keynote presentations, RAPID attendees have an opportunity to get a firsthand look at additive manufacturing in action with tours of local facilities. Tour attendees will be provided transportation to and from Cobo Center to one of two tours, which include:

·        Tour One: Linear Mold & Engineering and Roush Rapid Prototyping – Linear will take attendees from innovation to reality, and explore the art and science of making metal parts using the additive manufacturing process for prototyping purposes, as well as conformal-cooled tooling inserts for production injection molds. In addition, visitors touring the Roush Rapid Prototyping Department will see stereolithography, selective laser sintering and PolyJet 3D printing equipment along with vac-cast and bench shot urethane molding capabilities.
·        Tour Two: DASI Solutions and DM3D – DASI Solutions will offer guests a look at DASI’s showroom in downtown Pontiac to see the full line of Stratasys 3D printers on display, allowing them to understand the printing process and how they best apply to specific applications. In addition, the DM3D facility tour will include recent product applications using direct metal deposition for enhancing critical part life and remanufacturing of volume production components.

The tour registration deadline is Friday, May 30; attendees must be 18 years of age or older. For more information, click here.

The 2014 RAPID Conference & Exposition will be held at Cobo Center, in Detroit. The conference kicks off with workshops and presentations on Monday, June 9, and ends on Thursday, June 12. Lopes’ keynote presentation is on Wednesday, June 11 from 8:30-9:45 a.m., while Wohlers’ keynote presentation is on Thursday, June 12 from 8:30-9:45 a.m.

The 2014 RAPID Conference & Exposition is co-located with SME’s THE BIG M and the International Manufacturing Research Conference.