The 30th anniversary year of RAPID + TCT is officially in the books! Thank you to attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, advisors, speakers and SME members who joined us at North America’s largest and most influential additive manufacturing (AM) event.
Here is the event recap from the third and final day of RAPID + TCT 2021 in Chicago.
Day 3 Keynote Presentation
RAPID + TCT 2021 featured a full medical AM conference track showcasing medical enabling and emerging technologies (MEET) companies and speakers that are impacting medicine and patient care. That’s why it was fitting for the final keynote to feature Mark Wehde, Chair of Mayo Clinic Engineering.
Welcomed on stage by SME Industry Manager, Additive Manufacturing Angie Szerlong, Wehde discussed the myriad ways technology is changing healthcare—including the advancing role of AM, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), robotics, advanced analytics and more.
After talking about the history of innovation at Mayo Clinic, Wehde remarked on the drivers of Healthcare 4.0 including the aging population, acceleration of science and discovery, progress in new technologies and home-based healthcare.
With so much advancement happening on a number of technological fronts as the healthcare industry shifts from hospital-centric care to digital-centric care, Wehde all but confirmed the bright future of medical manufacturing—and AM’s evolving role in making it happen.
Stories From the Floor
Day two of RAPID + TCT 2021 saw several exciting exhibitors showcasing their innovations on the show floor. To cap the event, we’re continuing to highlight organizations that are shaping the future of AM and 3D printing.
Azul 3D | Booth E8610
- Azul 3D launched its first commercial 3D product with the introduction of its LAKE High-Area Rapid Printing (HARP) Platform—which uses a proprietary version of stereolithography to industrialize AM at scale. Azul’s booth playfully showcased their partnership with Wilson Sporting Goods, in which the LAKE platform is used to print customizable pickleball paddles.
MakerBot 3D Printers | Booth E7640
- MakerBot is continuing to bridge the gap between industrial and desktop 3D printing with the introduction of its Method series of printers. The line features breakthrough technologies leveraging patents from Stratasys to enable faster and more precise printing than ever before.
Desktop Metal | Booth E7407
- Aside from going public and announcing the acquisition of ExOne in the past year, Desktop Metal continues to advance the AM industry with its 3D printing solutions for all scales of production—from complex prototypes and on-demand tooling to the rapid manufacture of thousands of parts.
XJet | Booth E7004
- XJet’s proprietary NanoParticle Jetting (NPJ) and soluble support technology is redefining the ceramic and metal AM arenas with unprecedented levels of detailing, finish and accuracy—without compromising throughput or build time.
Fabrisonic | Booth E8343
- Fabrisonic’s hybrid Ultrasonic AM (UAM) technology allows organizations to create structures impossible with traditional subtractive manufacturing alone—driving significant improvements in performance, quality and cost.
Again, thank you for helping to make this year’s event possible. We look forward to seeing you at RAPID + TCT 2022—held May in Detroit, Michigan!