Additive Manufacturing in the 21st Century:

About the Presentation

Since the patent for the world’s first “3D printer” was granted in 1986, continuing innovation in materials and processes have given rise to the vibrant $12.8B “Additive Manufacturing (AM)” industry. Today, it’s difficult to find a manufacturing industry that isn’t leveraging the 3D engineering advancements driven by AM technologies. Recent breakthroughs in production 3D printing technologies are disrupting industries and reinvigorating manufacturing, creating exciting new engineering opportunities to manufacture better designed, higher quality parts more efficiently.

Over the decades, however, a very large variety of products and technologies have emerged. From the $100 desktop 3D printers for hobbyists to $1M+ production printers, it’s often daunting to navigate the maze of the many AM technologies and processes that are appropriate for any given application. With the help of process and materials engineering principles, the myriad of AM choices can be narrowed down, and the underlying value of any given AM technology can be understood. Both a survey of current and future AM technologies along with a framework for how to compare and contrast varying technologies will be presented and discussed.

Brian Hoffman, President - Intermountain 3D

With over 30 years in engineering and a holder of a dozen patents in printing and imaging from HP, Brian has had longstanding passion for 3D imaging and printing. For nearly 24 years in R&D at HP, Brian has held many technical and R&D management positions that led to many new products and innovations in printing businesses. Upon retiring from HP, he and his wife Lynn founded Intermountain 3D Inc. to continue pursuing a lifelong interest in engineering, as well as help grow the adoption of these 21st century manufacturing technologies right here in Idaho.