Learn More About the Additive Manufacturing Symposium at SOLIDWORKS World

SOLIDWORKS World is fast approaching and this time it is going to be bigger than ever. If you are there on the Monday, February 5th, and you are interested in Additive Manufacturing (AM), make sure you check out the Additive Manufacturing Symposium. Building on the success of the Design for Additive Manufacturing learning path introduced at SOLIDWORKS World 2017, this year’s breakout sessions dedicated to AM are all in the same room and on the same day. This makes it even easier to get a comprehensive overview of the latest and greatest 3D printing technology from industry experts.

There are some very special guests, some big announcements and a range of speakers covering everything from desktop 3D printing to metal additive manufacturing and post-processing.

The Additive Manufacturing Symposium kicks off at 10.30am after the first day’s general session. In this first 90-minute session SOLIDWORKS Product Management will be covering a number of the initiatives that have been worked on in this area, including some new functionality and new partnerships to advance the technology and the industry. The first session will be focused on Metal 3D printing with presentations from 3D Systems and Desktop Metal. This one is not to be missed!

Following the lunch break we have two very special guest speakers, both at the forefront of additive manufacturing: Terry Wohlers of Wohlers Associates and Tim Simpson of Penn State University. Wohlers is the leading analyst and consultant in AM and has served as the voice of the industry for more than two decades. Simpson is the Paul Morrow Professor in Engineering and Manufacturing and one of the leading experts in AM technology and the design of 3D-printed metal parts. Wohlers will be looking to the Future of AM and Simpson will be revealing the work he is doing at Penn State to advance the AM industry.

The next session looks at the entire process and what technologies we have available. Greg Paulsen from Xometry will be answering the question “Additive or Subtractive?” This question is crucial when designing a custom part. Both methods can create precise parts, but they have different benefits and considerations to keep in mind. Depending on the shape and ultimate application of your part, this decision could have a substantial effect on your part’s price, structure, and lead time. So, which method should you choose? Then Vivek Govekar from HCL Technologies will be discussing how additive and subtractive manufacturing can be used together to address some of the challenges of AM. He will also be showing the latest solution from CAMWorks for Additive Manufacturing.

The final session of the day is concluded with the two heavyweights of the desktop 3D printing world, Formlabs and Ultimaker. When it comes to 3D printing in manufacturing, fabrication, and design, 2017 has become the year of digital manufacturing. From desktop to benchtop 3D printers to production systems, 3D printing has been increasingly used from prototype to production. Dávid Lakatos, Chief Product Officer at Formlabs, will talk about how digital manufacturing in 3D printing has upended a variety of industries. Followed by John Kawola, president of Ultimaker North America, talking about how, thanks to a combination of higher quality and reliability with low-cost and direct access, new roles have appeared for professional desktop 3D printers within mechanical design and manufacturing. Kawola will share customer case studies that highlight how these tools excel for a number of roles within manufacturing and assembly, from daily use jigs and fixtures, to ad-hoc parts replacement, to bridge manufacturing.

For full details of the symposium and to add it to your SOLIDWORKS World agenda, click here.

Need a part 3D printed? Formlabs are offering all SOLIDWORKS World 2018 attendees the opportunity to get a part printed by them and you can pick it up at their booth! Click here for more details.

Mark Rushton

Mark Rushton is a Product Portfolio Manager for SOLIDWORKS and has been involved with 3D CAD and 3D Printing for over 15 years in several capacities from research to consulting for the likes of Rolls Royce, GE, JCB and Dyson. When not playing with 3D printers or other tech, he is most likely out snowboarding, wake boarding or mountain biking.