Rapid+TCT Spotlights Hot 3D Printing Sectors

The RAPID+TCT 3D printing/additive manufacturing event takes place April 23-26 in Ft. Worth, TX. The industry has changed a great deal in the 25+ years the RAPID conference has been running. This year, in addition to providing thousands of attendees the opportunity to learn from more than 150 conference presentations and eight workshops, and access to more than 300 exhibiting companies, RAPID+TCT will showcase 3D printing tooling and medical advances.

Team USA worked with the Composite Solutions Group at Stratasys to gear up for the Winter Games. Image courtesy of Stratasys.

The day-one keynote will show how USA Luge used materials from Stratasys to 3D print layup and sacrificial tools used to help manufacture the carbon-fiber composite sleds it used during the 2018 Winter Olympics.  The keynote will also switch gears into the media and entertainment sector with a look at how LAIKA uses 3D printing in its stop-motion animated films. LAIKA has used Stratasys 3D printed technology in Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings – all of which have received Oscar nominations and other awards.

On April 25, Jonathan M. Morris, MD, and Amy Alexander, BME, of the Mayo Clinic will explain how the advantages and challenges of using 3D printing for “point-of-care manufacturing.” According to an SME survey, more than 97% of medical additive manufacturing/3D printing professionals expect the use and application to continue to grow. Along with the keynote and medical-related panel discussions, RAPID + TCT will offer three medical workshops: “Regulatory and Quality System Considerations for 3D Printed Medical Devices,” “3D Printing in Hospital” and “Biomaterials and Bioprinting Fundamentals & Applications.”

Amy Alexander of the Mayo Clinic’s Department of Radiology’s Anatomic Modeling Lab will discuss how point-of-care manufacturing affects more patients with 3D printing. Image courtesy of SME.

“RAPID + TCT’s collaborative approach gives stakeholder groups an opportunity to identify challenges, develop resources, and to facilitate changes to support anyone using the technologies for medical/biomedical applications,” said Lauralyn McDaniel, medical additive manufacturing industry expert, SME, via a press release. “Applications are getting more complex; we’re focusing on issues ranging from working within a clinical setting for point-of-care manufacturers and regulatory/quality requirements to the developing area of tissue fabrication and bioprinting.”

As has been customary for many years, industry consultant Terry Wohlers will also present his research and insights on the additive manufacturing industry. Wohlers, who is principal consultant and president of Wohlers Associates, Inc., will be the keynote speaker on Thursday.

Read our coverage of last year’s RAPID+TCT event here and here.

For more information, visit the RAPID+TCT site.