VELO3D joined thousands of manufacturing companies as an exhibitor at North America’s largest industry trade show. The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) is a stronghold of production technologies, and the 2018 event broke records across exhibition metrics.
An On-the-Ground Report From North America’s Largest Manufacturing Technology Show
IMTS 2018 featured:
- 129,415 registrations
- 1,424,232 square feet of exhibiting space
- 2,563 exhibiting companies
- 2,123 booths
Among the more than 55 million pounds of machinery throughout McCormick Center’s four filled halls was our high-volume manufacturing Sapphire® system.
We were delighted to welcome visitors to our booth in the North Hall, where our production- quality Sapphire system was at work throughout the event. Those stopping by could peer into the system’s windows throughout the week, as a five-day build taking advantage of the Sapphire’s innovations in action in front of their eyes. Repeat visitors expressed enthusiasm at following the progress at various points, with the easy-to-read monitor detailing real-time print conditions and progress.
Our Intelligent Fusion technology combines simulation, prediction and closed-loop control to deliver new design innovation, faster time to market and lower cost and unprecedented quality control. While closed-loop approaches are common for traditional manufacturing, offering a much more direct way to manage each project, such systems are often lacking or entirely absent in existing additive manufacturing platforms. Intelligent Fusion technology which includes Sapphire’s integrated in-situ process metrology enables first-of-its-kind closed-loop melt pool control, are unique to advance adoption of additive manufacturing technology across key verticals industries including aerospace, energy, industrial and medical device applications.
By 3D metal printing at our booth, we were able to show visitors what Sapphire can do. We also showcased dozens of sample “as printed” parts that enabled visitors to see first-hand the typical part quality that sets us apart: high-volume production capability of complex designs with internal channels and low overhangs created without traditional support.
We were also pleased to showcase parts at the co-located Additive Manufacturing Conference (AMC), where attendees could stop by for a chat between informative presentations.
Appearing alongside other companies in the 3D printing industry at the AMC, as well as in the North Hall outside of the West Hall’s dedicated Additive Manufacturing Pavilion, highlighted VELO3D's unique positioning. We see additive manufacturing as part of the production workflow, and the steady stream of visitors at our booth from both additive and traditional subtractive industries was testament to the reach of interest.
IMTS was home to many product launches and introductions, including several other metal 3D printing systems. The choice to bring new products to market at IMTS is a strong statement for additive manufacturing as these technologies are showing their capability in manufacturing settings. We were glad to see other market participants bringing their offerings to IMTS, as together we form the basis of a growing sector of the broader manufacturing industry.
At our first IMTS, the VELO3D team enjoyed a busy and engaging week. It was a pleasure to finally show the manufacturing community what we’ve been developing for four years and to meet with partners, customers, and press for first looks at the future of production-quality additive manufacturing.
