Rapid Ready Roundup: Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, MakerBot, 3D Medical and Zelda
In the course of my diligent efforts to keep you good people up to date on the state of additive manufacturing (AM), I come across many interesting news items. I’ll gather them up every so often and present them in a Rapid Ready Roundup (like this one). You can find the last Roundup here.
Let’s start this Roundup with an update from the US government about its manufacturing initiative. Apparently NAMII has been considered a success, as the White House has announced the launch of competitions for three new manufacturing innovation institute sites. This represents $200 million in additional funding for the project and President Obama has continued to call for congress to approve the investment of $1 billion to complete 15 sites nationally. Continue reading
NAMII Awards $4.5 Million to Seven Additive Manufacturing Projects
Additive manufacturing (AM) has taken some great strides in the two plus decades the technology has been around, but there’s always room for innovation. Continuing research and development will ensure that AM keeps pace with the demands of an evolving industry. National defense also has a stake in AM, and any improvements have the potential to save lives.
It was with those two areas primarily in mind that President Obama pushed ahead with his plan for a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation. The pilot program for the Network, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII), was founded in Youngstown, OH and has become a center for advances in AM. Last November, NAMII and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) sent out a call for projects, and now seven programs have been selected to share $4.5 million in funding. Continue reading
Win Tickets to RAPID 2013!
Additive manufacturing (AM) is one of the most exciting technologies around. 3D printers are used in almost every major industry, including aerospace, medical and automotive. As AM continues to move into the mainstream, professionals of all stripes are bound to be interested in learning more about what it can offer for their businesses.
RAPID 2013 offers information on the many different ways in which AM is leveraged and still being developed for future innovation. If you are interested in discovering what RAPID 2013 has to offer, Desktop Engineering and Rapid Ready Tech are pleased to announce a contest that will award a pair of free guest passes to 15 lucky winners. Continue reading
SXSW Panel Talks 3D Printing
Every year thousands of people descend on Austin, TX for the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference. Spanning a week, SXSW showcases the newest movies, music and technology. The SXSW Interactive portion of the conference is kind of a hipper version of CES, with representatives from most major additive manufacturing (AM) companies.
This year’s opening keynote was presented by MakerBot’s Bre Pettis, and the show floor was littered with 3D printing demos, including guys from 3D Systems running around with Cube’s strapped to their chests. SXSW Interactive also featured a panel on “The Future of 3D Printing” with guests Scott Summit, founder of Bespoke Innovations; Avi Reichental, CEO of 3D Systems, and Alice Taylor, CEO of MakieLab. Continue reading
RAPID 2013 Announces Keynote Speakers
As the importance of additive manufacturing (AM) continues to grow, the nature of AM conferences changes. In place of a mainly industry insider feel to the events, more and more professionals interested in discovering what AM can offer for their business will attend to meet AM industry leaders and see AM first-hand. You won’t find a greater concentration of AM in North America than at RAPID.
I was privileged to attend RAPID 2012, and you can find highlights of my coverage here. The annual conference hosted by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers draws attendees from around the world. Along with the impressive exhibitor hall, the main draw to RAPID is the speakers that come to share their knowledge of AM, and to discuss breakthroughs in the technology. Continue reading
