The Who, What, Where, When, and How Much
- Who: Anyone interested in 3D printing for business and hobby use
- What: America’s largest 3D printing and additive manufacturing event
- Where: Los Angeles Convention Center
- When: June 25 – 27, 2024
- How Much: $125 – $1,300. Discounts for SME members, military, government, academia, and students.
Celebrating the established, the new, and the next level of 3D printing and additive manufacturing, Rapid + TCT 2024 hits the US West Coast this month for a three-day event marked out in the calendars of industry leaders, professionals, and enthusiasts from all around the planet.
Held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 25th to 27th, the conference is recognized by past attendees as “The best show to be at to see what’s the latest in 3D printing” and the “place to come to if you want to know what’s happening in the world of additive manufacturing.”
Since its first iteration more than 30 years ago as a small conference focused on the emerging technology of rapid prototyping, Rapid + TCT has been an annual showcase event at the forefront of the industry, launching the latest innovations and celebrating its outstanding achievements with a wide range of awards.
As the standout gathering for North America’s 3D printing community, it has witnessed remarkable growth over the decades, moving with the times and reflecting the rapid expansion and transformation of the additive manufacturing sector.
Organized by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) and Rapid News Publications – the owners of TCT – the action-packed schedule attracts attendees from far and wide. This year offers over 400 exhibits, more than 160 presentations in the technical conference program, and 200 expert speakers catering to a diverse audience, including engineers, designers, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and researchers.
Rotating between cities, such as Chicago and Detroit, this year’s event in Los Angeles features a special Hollywood Showcase – giving a glimpse of how 3D printing technology has revolutionized special effects and movie sets.
The Expo: Printers, Materials, Software & More
The nearly 10,000 people expected to attend the event’s expo prowling for their next 3D printer to purchase. Whether you’re a student or a professional, there’s something for everyone.
Not only are there more than 30 3D printers that have launched since the last Rapid + TCT event, companies from Anycubic to Stratasys plan announcements at the show.
To find your way around the show floor, download the exhibitor map in the event’s app, and mark your favorites. Notable exhibitors, such as EOS, Stratasys, and Formlabs are expected to make a significant presence with large designated zones likely to offer an immersive experience. These big names like to feature their latest innovations and engage with attendees through demonstrations, presentations, and interactive displays.
This year has over 400 companies exhibiting, including more than 250 new products set to be displayed. According to Rapid + TCT, 80% of attendees are in a role that influences equipment purchasing decisions, 41% have already invested in AM, 28% are experts looking to optimize, and 21% – the highest represented job function surveyed – are company owners, managers, or executives.
All3DP is on site and will have the latest news on all the new machines at our Rapid + TCT Special Coverage micro-site.
Conference, Keynotes & Workshops
The structure of the conference provides attendees with the valuable, practical, and actionable across a range of 3D printing topics. Distinguished speakers will offer thought-provoking keynotes, and participants can expect to leave informed with both knowledge and strategies to implement themselves.
Each day at 8.30 am the SME Main Stage hosts an Executive Perspectives keynote series, where industry leaders discuss the various challenges and significant opportunities available in the future of 3D printing.
The main keynote speeches occur at 1 pm each day back on the main stage and include:
- How Relativity Space is Revolutionizing Large-Scale AM – with Joshua Brost
- Driving Innovation: BMW Group’s AM Strategy and Vision – with Maximilian Meixlsperger
- The Story Behind COBRA Golf’s AM-enabled Golf Clubs – with Ryan Roach
There are 14 tracks available to take you through a tailored model of the three full days of learning that the conference offers. These include, aerospace, healthcare, defense, automotive, energy, creative, process development, material development, standards and repeatability, 3D scanning, serial production, post-processing, design for AM, and economics.
Huge companies will make an appearance to present, including the likes of Boeing, Google, Rivian, the US Air Force, Northrop Grumman, and Zimmer Biomet.
There are three panel discussions taking place each day in the SME Zone, with topics in focus such as Separating Fact from Fiction in the World of Additive Recycling, Manufacturing Tomorrow’s Therapeutics: Innovations and Triumphs in Bioprinting, and National Defense Industrial Strategy: Additive Enabled Supply Chains at Speed and Scale.
If that doesn’t give you a flavor of this event’s broad appeal, then this small selection of specialized presentations interspersed throughout the technical conference might:
- On Tuesday, as the conference’s opening day is getting into gear, join NASCAR and Stratasys for a look at how AM is leveraged in stock car racing. You’ll learn how NASCAR is adopting Stratasys AM tech to give drivers and teams in all cars in the Monster Energy Cup Series safe, stable components. Senior Applications Engineer Allen Kreemer from Stratasys and Director of Competition Partnerships Robert Duvall from NASCAR presents the audience with – NASCAR’s AM Edge: A Stratasys Case Study of End-use am Parts Enhancing Quality, Competition, and Safety at 200 MPH.
- Again on Tuesday, Gulf Wind Technology’s Senior Product Developer Joe Lotuaco explains the challenges inherent in testing the kind of wind turbine blades appropriate for challenging offshore settings, including how the ability to create complex and aerodynamic geometric structures with 3D printing gives developers the scope they need to make an impact in renewable energy – Advancing Wind Turbine Blade Aero Performance in Tough Environments with Stereolithography 3D Printing for Wind Tunnel Testing.
- Then, on Wednesday, dress sharply and attend the conference floor for – Is Fashion Finally Catching Up? Additive Manufacturing for Apparel – Where It Is and Where It’s Going. Sylvia Heisel, CEO of HEISEL, touches on recent innovations in fashion, such as how luxury brands like Dior and Louis Vuitton produced 3D printed footwear, gaining support for the techniques from designers and fashion schools.
- And if all of those topics were too grounded for you, Thursday offers – Fly Me to the Moon – Testing Additive Materials Performance in Space – where Andrew Kwas from Northrop Grumman Space Systems and Aerospace Global Director from Stratasys, Foster Ferguson recount the learnings and progress of using AM materials on a 2024 lunar mission in the NASA Tipping Point program.
Workshops, which can be added to a general ticket for varied program fees, are an opportunity to get to grips with new techniques as experts impart knowledge firsthand and can be a worthy investment for introductions and career progression alone.
This year, any medical or medical-aligned workers shouldn’t miss the very comprehensive – Healthcare AM Symposium: The Expansive Applications of 3D Printing in Healthcare, which aims to educate on the latest application of 3D printing techniques.
In a broad symposium workshop representing just how integral the technology has become in many different medical institutions, highlights include live demonstrations of a cardiac case, an ortho-cutting guide, forensics, veterinary medicine, and more.
Other workshops include 3D Scanning for Additive Manufacturing and Mitigating Safety Risks Helps Grow Your Additive Manufacturing Market.
Social Time, Networking & Awards
As the final scheduled event on each of the three full conference days – besides the AM Technical Community Town Hall on Tuesday – there’s a chance to let your hair down and mingle with like minds in the networking events held on the exhibit floor. These informal gatherings are a cornerstone of the program and valuable to all for building relationships and exploring potential collaborations.
The RAPID + TCT Show Floor Reception kicks these events off, followed by the AM Industry Celebration, and then the RAPID + TCT Closing Social. With food, drinks, and entertainment located across the exhibits, all guests are welcome and can mingle on a lighter note to discuss the day’s events.
Awards ceremonies are also interspersed throughout the conference events, with three taking place between 12.30 p.m. and 1 p.m. each day on the SME Main Stage.
Up for grabs are awards such as the AM Industry Achievement Awards, won last year by Jeff DeGrange of FSME, the AM Start-Up Technology Awards, the AM Pitchfest Competition, the Digital Manufacturing Challenge Award, and the Aubin AM Case Study Awards, won last year by a collaboration including the Oakridge National Laboratory and the Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC), among others.
All3DP is on site and will have the latest news on all the new machines at our Rapid + TCT Special Coverage micro-site.
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