As North America’s most influential additive manufacturing and 3D printing event, RAPID + TCT attracts thousands of industry leaders representing some of the world’s biggest companies. During this annual conference, countless connections are made, ideas are born, and visions become reality.
With so many decision makers and investors in attendance each year, dozens of 3D printer manufacturers choose RAPID + TCT to make major product announcements and debut their newest, most advanced technologies on the industry’s biggest stage.
In advance of RAPID + TCT 2019—which will bring more company news and product unveilings than ever before—here are just four of several examples of organizations who have debuted now-groundbreaking technologies at the conference over the years.
HP | RAPID 2016
At RAPID 2016, HP unveiled the world’s first commercial system capable of printing production-ready parts—the HP Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution. The technology revolutionized design, prototyping and manufacturing for model shops and 3D print service bureaus by delivering superior-quality parts up to 10 times faster and at half the cost of other 3D print systems at the time.
The HP Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution was the result of numerous partnerships with the goal of enabling deeper integration of 3D printing into manufacturing processes. After its release, HP’s additive technology capabilities continued to advance, and it is now a leading provider of commercial 3D print systems.
Desktop Metal | RAPID + TCT 2017
At RAPID + TCT 2017, Desktop Metal CEO and Cofounder Ric Fulop introduced two revolutionary metal 3D printing systems, Studio System and Production System. Developed by a team of scientists and engineers, DM Studio System was the first-ever system that enabled metal 3D printing in an office environment—and the efficient creation of small metal parts and prototypes.
DM Production System gave organizations the ability to manufacture metal 3D-printed parts at scale. Using groundbreaking Single Pass Jetting (SPJ) technology, the system was faster and offered reduced cost per part compared to existing laser-based systems. The technology was so revolutionary that, after its release, it quickly became competitive with mass-production techniques like casting.
GE Additive | RAPID + TCT 2018
Last year’s RAPID + TCT saw a number of new product unveilings, but GE Additive’s debut of the Arcam EBM Spectra H was among the most exciting. As manufacturers required continually larger, faster and industrialized machines, the new metal additive manufacturing system was revolutionary in that it was designed to handle high heat and crack-prone materials.
Using the company’s existing electron beam melting systems, the Arcam EBM Spectra H was the only commercial additive manufacturing method able to support a range of high-heat materials including titanium aluminide, Alloy 718, nickel superalloys, tungsten, stainless steel and more.
Digital Metal | RAPID + TCT 2018
Also making its debut at RAPID + TCT 2018 was Digital Metal’s groundbreaking metal additive manufacturing machine, DM P2500. Using a proprietary technology, the DM P2500 was particularly impressive in its ability to produce small, complex and highly detailed parts for a range of industries ranging from automotive and healthcare to aerospace and luxury fashion.
During RAPID + TCT, Digital Metal offered interactive demos of the 3D metal printer to hundreds of interested buyers and investors, resulting in dozens of potential business partners.