I can’t believe the RAPID + tct conference is only a few days away! If this year’s event is anything like last years’ it’s going to be a very busy and even more exciting week. Besides the obvious change in the conference’s venue from Pittsburgh to Fort Worth, Texas, there’s been a more subtle, but more important change as the event rebranded itself from a conference on “Rapid Prototyping” to “North America’s preeminent event for 3D Manufacturing”. Prototyping and one-off fabrication technologies are still well-represented at RAPID 2018, but the exhibitors on the show floor and the list of conference sessions in the classrooms both reflect the fact that next-generation fabrication technologies are now touching nearly every aspect of product design and manufacturing.
If you are going to be attending RAPID+ TCT on April 23-26, I’d love to meet up with you and some of the other hard-working folks who read PD&D. We could spend a few minutes chatting over coffee, or maybe something stronger (my treat), as we swap insights, ideas, and even some juicy industry gossip. It will be pretty easy to spot me since I’ll be wearing one of my signature Hawaiian shirts, usually accompanied with a big grin. Here’s a list of some of the sessions you can find me at during the show:
Monday 4/23
8:30-2:00 – Biomaterials and Bioprinting Fundamentals & Applications
Tuesday 4/24
11:15 – Transitioning From 2D Circuits To Freeform Electronics Using 3D Printing
2:15 – Using Big Area Additive Manufacturing to Directly Manufacture a Boat Hull Mold
3:45 – From 3D-Printed Raw Parts to High-Value Consumer and Industrial Products
Wednesday 4/25
8:30 – Impacting More Patients with 3D Printing
10:15 – Advanced Simulation to Leverage the True Additive Manufacturing Potential
3:45 – In Vivo Evaluation of Neurotized 3D-Printed Graphene Biomaterials
It is sadly noted that this year’s program does not seem to include the outrageous 3D printed fashion show that was a highlight of the 2017 conference (see the video below), but I’m sure the program committee has a few new surprises in store for us this year.
In between sessions, you can find me cruising the show floor. I’ll be visiting some of my old favorite exhibitors, as well as checking out some of the upstarts and innovators making their debut at RAPID. At the moment, my dance card includes the following:
Nano Dimension – Booth # 119
Desktop Metal – Booth #1530
XYZ Printing – Booth # 2142
3D Platform – Booth # 1142
Ntopology – Booth #145
Titan Robotics – Booth # 1830
GE Additive Booth # 1318
Stratasys – Booth # 1104
3D Systems – Booth # 1204
Autodesk Inc- Booth #1522
If you can’t make it to the show, don’t despair. I’ll be blogging from the show floor and posting videos that will give you a geeks-eye-view of some of the show’s most exciting innovations. I’ll also be posting several videos of Q&A sessions with a few of the technical experts and industry leaders who will be gathering in Fort Worth next week.
If you have comments, questions, or suggestions for must-catch doings at RAPID + TCT 2018, drop an e-mail to: [email protected].
Filed Under: Industrial automation
