RAPID + TCT 2021 has officially kicked off at McCormick Place in Chicago! We’re proud to be marking the 30th anniversary of our three-day additive manufacturing (AM) trade show by hosting 250+ impactful exhibitors, dozens of educational sessions and groundbreaking new 3D technologies.
With so much happening at RAPID + TCT 2021, we’re assembling the show’s top takeaways—starting with Day 1.
Opening Event
Lauded AM industry advisor, Todd Grimm, opened the show by welcoming a live audience for the first time since 2019, and giving attendees a better sense of what they need to see to maximize their time at the conference.
Grimm then gave the stage to Stratasys CEO Nadav Goshen, who expressed excitement about returning to in-person industry events and affirmed AM’s role in building a stronger, more sustainable manufacturing future.
After Goshen’s remarks, SME CEO Bob Willig introduced the opening keynote speaker, Dr. Melissa Orme, VP of Additive Manufacturing at The Boeing Corporation.
Day 1 Keynote Presentation
With more than 70K additively manufactured parts flying today in Boeing products, Dr. Orme knows what it takes for AM to succeed. During her keynote presentation, she talked about the challenges and opportunities on the horizon for the industry—including scale, product differentiation, Industry 4.0, industrialization and people & training.
Dr. Orme touched on AM’s critical role in sustainability—from optimized designs and unprocessed powder to increased lifespan and recycled support structures. She also stressed the importance of preparing a proportionally scalable ecosystem as a way to avoid AM bottlenecks post-adoption.
What’s New at RAPID + TCT 2021
Eager to unveil what they have been working on over the past two years, this year’s exhibitors unveiled brand-new advanced technologies spanning a wide variety of industries and use cases. Here is a breakdown of new innovations at RAPID + TCT 2021, including the company’s booth location so you can discover these solutions firsthand.
AMT - Additive Manufacturing Technologies | Booth E8419
- New products from AMT include the PostPro SF100 and PostPro SF50, which are automated chemical vapor smoothing systems designed for finishing 3D printing parts. Various 2-in-1 Depowdering and Shot Blast Systems are among other AMT products being showcased.
AddUp | Booth E7937
- AddUp is revealing their FormUp® 350 New Generation—a new solution for metal AM using laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF). The modular and scalable machine offers a high level of productivity and allows the manufacturing of high-quality parts while ensuring user safety.
BASF Forward AM | Booth E8125
- BASF Forward AM is launching several of their Ultrafuse technologies including the Ultrafuse PPSU—a material specifically developed for FFF printing. The Ultrason resins used in PPSU are amorphous thermoplastics ensuring a very high thermal resistance.
Cincinnati Inc. | Booth E8331
- Cincinnati is exhibiting its MAAM machine in their booth, introducing its dual extrusion capability. With the ability to do both pellet and filament extrusion, their fully customizable and versatile mid-scale 3D printer is perfectly suited for a wide array of industrial applications with various materials.
DMG MORI | Booth E7425
- DMG MORI is unveiling its Lasertech 30 Dual SLM, completing its portfolio of AM products offering powder bed and powder nozzle technology from a single source.
Essentium | Booth E7625
- Essentium is showcasing their new HSE 280i HT 3D Printer—the first 3D printer equipped with true independent dual extruders (IDEX), meaning each head is fully independent on both the X and Y-axis.
Ricoh USA Inc | E8846
- Ricoh is revealing the Ricoh 3D—a machine made for the healthcare industry which utilizes streamlined workflow and offers an integrated, end-to-end anatomic modeling solution with rapid turnaround.
Sinterit Sp. Z o.o | E7352
- Sinterit is launching the Sandblaster SLS for a fully dust-free environment. Their dust filtration extraction system—an industrial-size cabinet allowing for easy rotation of big printouts—features excellent filtration, a hand-operated blast gun and a low-mesh grill.
TheWell Bioscience | Booth E7014
- TheWell Bioscience is showcasing various new Vitrogel® hydrogel systems alongside VitroINK®—a new generation of bioink systems which can either be pre-mixed or mixed directly with cells by using a dual syringe system.
2021 Additive Manufacturing Community Awards
Also part of RAPID + TCT 2021 opening day was a ceremony honoring the winners of our 2021 Additive Manufacturing Community Awards—which celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of individuals, teams and companies creating significant impact in commercializing AM.
This year’s winners include:
AM Industry Achievement Award
Established in 2008, the Industry Achievement Award was developed by SME’s AM Community to recognize an individual, team or company for outstanding accomplishments that have had significant impact within AM, or in any industry through the application of AM technologies.
2021 Winner
- David K. Leigh, PhD, CTO for Additive Manufacturing at 3D Systems, Inc.
Leigh is recognized for his career-long contributions to the AM industry—he has been instrumental in pioneering standards and specifications on qualification of AM, building successful culture and systems at printing service houses and founding companies that broadened the market and audience for AM technology.
Aubin AM Case Study Award
The new “Aubin AM Case Study Award” looks to recognize innovations in application of AM technologies. The purpose of the award is to recognize outstanding use cases of AM adoption and implementation and to provide inspiration to others in their journey of AM application.
2021 Winner
- “Rapid Large Scale Additive Manufacturing of Full-Scale RS-25 Engine Nozzle Liner”
2021 Recipients
- Dutta, 1DM3D Technology
- Lewan, 1DM3D Technology
- Singh, 1DM3D Technology
- Fortuna, 1DM3D Technology
- Ghadamli, 1DM3D Technology
- Gradl, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
- Hickman, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
- Fikes, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
- Ogles, National Center for AM Excellence (NCAME) - Auburn University
- Wheeler, NASA Ames Research Center
- Hafiychuk, NASA Ames Research Center
- Hafiychuk, NASA Ames Research Center
Digital Manufacturing Challenge
Student designers and engineers are challenged to go beyond the classroom or laboratory and showcase their technical and commercial talents by demonstrating new and creative ways additive manufacturing can add value.
2021 Winner
- “Rapid Deployment of Patient-Specific Prosthesis Assemblies in Emergency Medicine”
2021 Recipients
- Sagar Patel, University of Waterloo
- Martine McGregor, University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo Faculty Advisors
- Mihaela Vlasea
- Stewart McLachlin
Opening Reception
After a great opening day, RAPID + TCT 2021, attendees and exhibitors alike came together over refreshments and hors d’oeuvres to network with peers, discuss AM trends and applications with colleagues and continue conversations in a more relaxed environment.