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botObjects
It lives! A real live botObjects machine, merrily printing away at Inside 3D Printing NYC.
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Torino
The 3D printing Ford Torino on show at Inside 3D Printing Expo, NYC.
The Inside 3D Printing event is on for the second time at New York's Javitz center. TCT decamped to the event for a busy first day.
The sessions were kicked off by 3D Systems' CEO Avi Reichental — now a regular on the conference circuit and a consumate professional to boot — highlighting the significant progress both 3D Systems and the wider industry have made in the last 12 months. The focus was on the 'digital thread' that ties 3D content and 3D printing together. Avi explained how this was the key to the continuing success of 3D printing for both personal and professional users. Medical applications, which are a personal passion of Avi's, were also front and centre, with examples of how data manipulation combined with 3D printing is having significant impact on lives.
From the Keynote session we made our way to the much-expanded show floor, perhaps twice the size or more than the 2013 edition. Exhibitors of note included Xerox Research Centre of Canada whose involvement in R&D for printing in the 2D sphere (if one can have a 2D sphere) goes back some 40 years. The organisation is hoping to bring this experience to bear in the 3D printing space by accelerating materials development for 3D printers. They're currently looking for problems to help solve, so get in touch with them! We'll have more on this soon, too.
Across the hall another virgin exhibitor was botObjects. I spoke with CTO Mike Duma (eventually, like most stands the queues were three-deep most of the morning) about the somewhat unorthodox route to finally shipping. Given the history, I was expecting to be disappointed, but the machine was there, was working and was creating parts. It wasn't all smoke and mirrors at least. Mike's explanations of the delays were reasonable and I can't help thinking that if they'd done a better job of communicating with the press about the issues, the backlash from the potential users would have been reduced. Let's see how the shipping goes!
Notably absent from the floor were Stratasys and their local heroes Makerbot. SSYS were represented by re-sellers Cimquest who also had a Makerbot Rep 2 on show but on this occasion nothing from 'corporate'.
3D Systems were however there in force, taking the headline sponsorship and undeniably the premier booth. It was of course large (they have so much stuff to show these days) and demonstrated the full gamut of offerings for virtually any 3D printing user, all beautifully branded to give a unique '3DS' look to their kit. There's more to come too with rumours of a expansion to the CeraJet line up in the works.
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Exhibit at the UK's definitive and most influential 3D printing and additive manufacturing event, TCT 3Sixty.
3D Systems didn't quite have all the stand glory however the bright and bold of Mcor once again lit up the show floor in a bath of orange... the stand, the carpet, even the bin (or trash can) was branded. An impressive display from a company that seems to get to every show and never fails to make an impact. Even considering any 'wardrobe malfunctions' encountered on the streets of NYC!
Our first port of call was with XYZ Printing — star of Joris' most recent column — who as predicted look like one to keep a close eye on in the coming years. It seems that FDM-style systems for the consumer market are only the tip of the iceberg for this Taiwan-based child of Kinpo. SLA, industrial machines and more can be anticipated in the not too distant future.
I am sure there will be more to report from Day 2, so stay tuned for that and of course for the AMUG coverage starting next week.
