It’s great to see such a strong presence of additive manufacturing (AM) coming to the IMTS at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL, show next week. AM technology has been at the show before, but this year, you will have a chance to see and explore more of this technology.
One of the major vendors attending the show will be 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD). Representatives will be showcasing how its technology is localizing flexible manufacturing, and compressing re-tooling and production cycles.
“In a fiercely competitive world, it is vitally important for manufacturers in every industry to incorporate the most advanced production tools available today,” said Avi Reichental, President and CEO of 3DS. “Our 3D design and manufacturing products and services enable manufacturers to become nimbler and transform their businesses by shortening their time to value.”
Reichental will speak on Monday September 8th, at 1:15 pm CT in room W-192B. He will discuss how manufacturers from industries including automotive, aerospace and healthcare are innovating by using 3DS’ solutions, and present specific customer case studies demonstrating the advantages of 3D printing. He will also provide his outlook on the future evolution of this manufacturing technology.
During the IMTS 2014 event, 3DS plans to demonstrate its 3D design-to-manufacturing products for the factory floor and the engineer’s desktop. The following will be on display:
Industrial-grade direct metal printing – the ProXTM 200 Direct Metal Printer(DMP) is specifically designed for the most demanding manufacturing floor conditions, delivering high-density, precise 3D-printed parts in a range of metals including steel, titanium alloys and aluminum.
Simultaneous, multi-materials composite printing – The ProJet® 5500X simultaneously prints and fuses together flexible and rigid material composites layer by layer in a variety of colors and shades, including opaque, clear, black or white and numerous shades of gray.
High speed, high capacity printing for durable plastic parts– The ProJet 3500 HDMax, along with the corresponding VisiJet® line of plastic materials will be on display. The ProJet 3500 HDMax’s large build envelope and high speed printing mode give users the ability to produce high definition, performance-grade functional plastic parts quickly.
3D printing for the Engineer’s Desktop – The CubePro series of 3D printers has the largest print volume in its class and multi-material capability. With three models for single, double or triple print heads for up to three colors, this sub-$5,000, professional-quality, desktop 3D printer series offers a controlled environment print chamber to ensure hi-fidelity, true-to-design, quality results. The CubePro is available for order on Cubify.com and through affiliated retailers, resellers and distributors.
Integrated scan-to-design and inspection tools and print drivers – The company is showcasing its end-to-end digital thread, which enables users to reverse engineer objects, recreate and improve upon existing objects in a design environment, and physically reproduce objects on demand. The company will demonstrate this process at IMTS with its Geomagic® Capture 3D scanner, the industry’s first integrated scan-based design and inspection solution, along with its suite of Geomagic software solutions and its new release of Geomagic Verify software for first-article part inspection.
