Upcoming 3D Printing Events Cater to Every Interest

If you’re looking for a 3D printing-related conference or event to attend in the near future, there’s no shortage of options, from Inside 3D Printing Seoul this week to the second annual Additive Manufacturing Summit in January, plus lots in between.

Additive International, formerly known as the International Conference on Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing, will be taking place in Nottingham, England on July 11th and 12th, with a pre-conference day on July 10th. The conference has been going on since 2006, and it’s always extremely informative, with this year’s event being no exception.

Topics covered this year will include using silicone inks to 3D print lifelike organ models; developing ultra-stiff, lightweight mechanical metamaterials; accelerating the development of additive manufacturing standards; printing in-orbit satellite parts; serial part production in aerospace and using innovation to handle post-processing issues.

“Additive International is really more of a summit than a conference,” said conference chair Professor Richard Hague. “It is all about bringing experts together to share knowledge, discuss ideas and to learn from one another. We pride ourselves on achieving a balance between industry and academia – presenting the very latest real world AM applications alongside exciting new developments from research labs across the globe. We don’t shy away from addressing the issues and obstacles that AM presents head-on. This honesty and transparency is part of what keeps our delegates, presenters and exhibitors returning each year to take part.”

The conference will take place at the Nottingham Belfry hotel and will feature a lineup of expert speakers, including:

• Abi Bush, Field Ready
• Paola Caracciolo, Airbus – Germany
• Tiffany Chen. RMIT University
• Alvaro Goyanes, University College London
• Jonathan Jeffers, Imperial College London
• Abby Juhl, Air Force Research Laboratory
• Cindy Kutchko, PPG Industries
• Michael McAlpine, The University of Minnesota
• Florence Montredon, Thales Alenia Space
• Alexander Powell, ICFO – The Institute of Photonic Sciences
• Anil K Sachdev, GM Global Research & Development
• Mohsen Seifi, AST International
• Christopher Spadaccini, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• Iain Todd, Mapp EPSRC Future Manufacturing Hub
• René Van Der Meer, Océ-Technologies B.V.
• Ricky Wildman, University of Nottingham
• Christopher Williams, Virginia Tech
• Lijuan Zhang, National Innovation Institute of Additive Manufacturing

More than 30 organizations will be exhibiting as well; the headline sponsor will be HP. For the first time, Additive International also has a charity partner: Field Ready, which uses 3D printing to deliver medical supplies and other emergency aid in the field.

The pre-conference day, titled Business Innovation in AM, will feature presentations from 33 Innovate UK-funded additive manufacturing project teams that will explore business applications of additive manufacturing in the categories of:

• New AM Processes
• New Materials including Conductive Components
• Med-Tech
• Post processing
• Hybrid Processes and Tooling Applications
• Inspection Systems
• Large Scale and Construction

Taking place at the same time, but online, will be a workshop entitled 3D Printing Fashion for Beginners, given by designer Danit Peleg. From July 10th to 12th, this virtual workshop will teach participants the history and basics of 3D printed fashion. On Day One, An Introduction to 3D Printing and Fashion, Peleg will share the story of how she got started in 3D printed fashion as well as go over the history of 3D printed fashion, more recent innovations, and the techniques, limitations and challenges presented today.

On Day Two, How to Design and Print Your Own Fashion Files Without Knowing How to 3D Model, Peleg will demonstrate the step-by-step process of creating design files without knowing 3D modeling. At the end of the session, she will review each student’s textile designs and send them off for 3D printing in her studio. Day Three, A Live Review of Participants’ Designs and Printed Pieces, will include an extended Q&A session and tips on how to proceed after the course.

The course costs $540 and is limited to 15 participants, so register today if you’re interested.

Another course will be taking place from August 8th to 10th in Frisco, Colorado. Wohlers Associates, Inc. is hosting its Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) course, offering designers, engineers and managers the chance to learn how to maximize the benefits of additive manufacturing.

“To stay competitive with AM, it is critical to give DfAM the time and effort it deserves,” said Terry Wohlers, Principal Consultant and President of Wohlers Associates. “Neglecting the importance of DfAM is a mistake that most organizations will not want to make.”

The class will be led by DfAM expert Olaf Diegel, and will cover topics including the consolidation of many parts into one and methods to reduce material and weight, such as topology optimization and lattice/mesh structures. Participants will gain hands-on experience by designing and 3D printing their own parts. You can learn more and register here.

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.