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| View from the Inside 3D Printing Expo |
Just got back from a few fun days at the first ever Inside 3D Printing Expo held at the Javits Center in New York City. The two day event announced they had more than 3000 people registered, and anyone who tried to elbow their way through the exhibitor hall will believe that number.
The speakers and presentations spanned a wide variety of industries, from fashion design to education to aerospace and medical. One part of each talk seemed to keep coming up, “This is the only way we could do this”.
Andy Christensen of Medical Modeling pointed this out when talking about practicing surgery to separate conjoined twins. In preparation for the surgery doctors printed out a replica structure, based on CT scans and MRIs, and were able to test out exactly what they were doing before cutting into real skin.
Mary Huang, of Continuum Fashion, pointed out that her 3D printed shoes changed the way she shared samples for different fashion shows. When a designer in Europe called up requesting a sample in a hurry Mary and her partner found they didn’t have a sample they could send in time. Instead they were able to share the design file and have the designer print their own shoe. Sure this leaves some room for error but it also showcases how 3D printing has the ability to drastically alter the supply chain.