The 29th installment of the RAPID + TCT additive manufacturing event is approaching

North America’s largest additive manufacturing exhibition and conference is set to roll into Detroit May 20-23

Information supplied by SME and The TCT Group

“Disruption and change” are the themes of RAPID + TCT 2019, North America’s largest additive manufacturing (AM) exhibition and conference, say the event’s hosts.

Scheduled to run May 20-23 at Cobo Center in Detroit, the 29th annual installment of the RAPID + TCT show is being put on by SME and The TCT Group. More than 350 exhibitors are expected for the exhibits portion of the event, scheduled to run May 21-23. More than 6,000 visitors reportedly attended RAPID + TCT 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas.

An SME-issued press release states: “Additive manufacturing continues to disrupt and change manufacturing across dozens of industries. … With 3D printing growing into a $20 billion industry by 2020, the event offers a look at manufacturing’s future and access to the leaders who are making it happen— along with guidance for those who want to embrace change but need help knowing where to start.”

SME announced that all keynote presentations will emphasize the importance of disruption and change, both in industry and inside companies.

Bill Taylor, co-founder and founding editor of Fast Company, will open RAPID + TCT on Tuesday morning (May 21), speaking about “Disruptive Technology and Innovation.” He will guide company leaders through the process of becoming innovators and change agents who help their colleagues thrive in a period of turbulence and disruption.

Taylor plans to offer a manifesto for change and a manual for achieving it, along with sharing success stories and examples from some of business’s leading disruptors.The scheduled keynote speaker for May 22 is Naomi Murray, PhD, the director of advanced operations and additive technology solutions at medical device manufacturer Stryker. She plans to share her experiences with AMagine—Stryker’s proprietary approach to implant creation based on AM—and explain how the approach facilitates revolutionary design freedom. She will also share her experiences using AM in many situations, from prototyping to product manufacturing.

On May 23 Dominik Rietzel, head of AM—non-metals—with the BMW Group, will share his insights into how AM can enter and be applied in high-volume markets like automotive. He will explain how new business models are being realized, and how automation and artificial intelligence will help to raise the implementation of AM in or near assembly lines. Rietzel’s examples of current use and an outlook on future developments at BMW Group will show the impact of AM technologies.

“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.”

More than 150 conference presentations are scheduled.RAPID + TCT 2019 marks the first time in five years that the event will be held in Detroit.

“It will provide a weeklong boost to the local economy and highlight Michigan’s leading role in additive manufacturing,” reports SME. Nearly 20 AM firms have headquarters in Michigan, “making Detroit a natural home for North America’s most significant additive manufacturing event.”