RAPID + TCT Announces Keynote Speakers for May Event

RAPID + TCT is North America’s largest and most influential additive manufacturing event. Now in its 29th year, RAPID + TCT is a touchstone event bringing together industrial manufacturing customers, vendors and researchers from all over the world. RAPID + TCT is your opportunity to engage with machine and materials manufacturers as well as service companies from North America and beyond. This event is also the opportunity for you to learn directly from industry leaders about the coming disruption that 3D printing & additive manufacturing will bring to manufacturing.

This coming May 20 to 23 RAPID + TCT will take place in Detroit’s Cobo Center. There, a trio of keynote speakers will outline the coming disruption through additive manufacturing for you.

Fast Company Co-Founder Bill Taylor will tell us how the digital revolution is changing the nature of work, competition, and manufacturing. The noted author, entrepreneur, and speaker will outline how business and manufacturing leaders will nurture those in their organizations who will bring about change. By empowering those who can navigate the turbulent times to come they will find success in inventing a future for their firms and their customers. Taylor will look both at effective leaders and successful businesses who are trailblazers in digital disruption. Furthermore, he will show manufacturing leaders how to master the challenges brought about by digital disruption.

Reporting to you from the frontlines of additive manufacturing innovation will be Dr. Naomi Murray, the Director, Advanced Operations, Additive Technology Solutions at Stryker. Her talk on “Leveraging Design Capabilities for Production of Devices that Make Healthcare Better” will look at how Stryker harnesses the power of additive manufacturing to innovate faster while improving its medical devices. Through additive’s design freedom, better products can be made quicker in shapes that were not possible before. In Stryker’s case, this has lead to porous structures being used on several FDA-cleared orthopedic implants for example. Dr. Murray will also explain how Stryker’s proprietary AMagine methodology for implant creation delivers value for the firm, health systems, doctors and patients.

BMW has made waves through its longstanding use of 3D printing and additive manufacturing in prototyping and short-run production, making over a million parts so far. The company also announced that it will use 3D printing to let customers customize and individualize car parts. BMW will also use 3D printing in its high end Individual bespoke line of automobiles. BMW’s revelations have been a source of much excitement and speculation on the company’s additive manufacturing prowess and plans.

For a number of years now Dr.-Ing Dominik Rietzel has lead BMW Group’s innovations in the polymer 3D printing space as the company’s Head of Additive Manufacturing (Non-Metals). He will look at what developments, changes, and roadblocks additive will have to overcome to be capable of high volume automotive production. He will also discuss new business models now possible through additive manufacturing. He will also explain how AI will help implement additive in part production and how BMW Group will develop future digital manufacturing technologies.

RAPID + TCT’s organizer SME is pleased to once again put on this important show for the additive manufacturing industry.

“SME is thrilled to offer keynotes of such high caliber at RAPID + TCT 2019,” said Maria Conrado, SME’s senior event manager for RAPID + TCT. “Having Bill, Naomi, and Dominik as our featured speakers each day sets the perfect tone for the event, reinforces the importance of embracing change, and will inspire our attendees to drive disruption in their companies and industries.”

Learn about pricing and the logistics of the event here.