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16 CNC WEST June/July 2016
of conformal cooling channels in the tooling for injection
molded parts. The new design reduces cycle time, reduces
reject rates associated with warping and offers a claimed
productivity rate increase of 20 to 70 percent across several
applications. In yet a third example, 3D printing enabled a
design team to combine 18 parts into a single component
that was 25 percent lighter and, more importantly, eliminated
maintenance issues.
“If you’re just trying to emulate an existing design, you
need to expand your thinking to fully harness the power of
3D printing,” says Burns. “Savings and productivity im-
provements are going to come from ways you have yet to
imagine.”
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PAVILION
“Additive manufacturing is incredibly dynamic, and in
order to see new materials, new design ideas and new pro-
duction techniques, you need to attend IMTS 2016,” says
Peter R. Eelman, vice president — Exhibitions & Commu-
nications at AMT — The Association For Manufacturing
Technology. Eelman emphasizes that the term additive man-
ufacturing encompasses a collection of diverse technologies
that includes material providers, 3D printers and associated
equipment such as sintering furnaces, design and production
software, scanners that capture points to create a parametric
design and 3D printing service centers.
“The Additive Manufacturing Pavilion showcases essen-
tially every component necessary for a manufacturing cell,”
he says. “In addition, the technology has progressed so far
that you’ll also see it on the show floor. Several of the leading
machine tool providers will demonstrate ‘hybrid machines’
that integrate 3D printing and traditional machine tool ca-
pabilities.”
Pavilion exhibitors include ExOne, EOS of North
America, 3D Systems, Statasys, HP, Optomec, Proto Labs,
EnvisionTEC, Cideas, DM3D Technology, SCIAKY, 3rd
Dimension Industrial 3D Printing, Hybrid Manufacturing
Technologies, GPI Prototype & Manufacturing Services,
Linear AMS — and more still being added. Use the MyShow
Planner tool to set up meetings with these and other compa-
nies, and even bring a hard copy of your print.
To enter the North Building at McCormick Place,
visitors to IMTS — The International Manufacturing Tech-
nology Show — must exit the Grand Concourse and pass
through the new Additive Manufacturing Pavilion. Previ-
ously the technology has been featured in AMT’s Emerg-
ing Technology Center as a cutting edge technology and
then added to the Fabricating and Laser Pavilion. For
IMTS 2016, additive manufacturing technology has earned
a stand-alone spotlight at the show, which runs from Sept.
12-17, 2016.
“Additive manufacturing is a reality for the industrial
marketplace. It’s not fully mature, but the technology has
progressed far enough that if you’re ignoring 3D printing at
IMTS 2016, you’re making a big mistake,” advises David
Burns, founder and principal of Global Business Advisory
Services, LLC. “Fortunately, within the IMTS Additive
Manufacturing Pavilion, you’ll find companies that offer
a full suite of 3D products, and they’re good at explaining
the benefits.”
Burns well understands industrial manufacturing. IMTS
2016 will mark his 16th show. Before he started advising
industrial companies, Burns co-founded and was president
and COO of ExOne™, a leading provider of 3D printing
machines, products and related services. Prior to ExOne,
he was CEO for gear manufacturer Gleason Corporation.
Burns says that technology advancements occur so
rapidly that staying on top of new developments requires
constant work. As it applies to 3D printing, developments
include new metallurgies, new machines and a suite of de-
sign tools.
“Designing for 3D printing requires a completely dif-
ferent approach, as does integrating the power of 3D print-
ing into your industrial manufacturing operation,” he says.
As an example, Burns cites an aerospace part redesign
where 3D printing reduced weight from 7 to 2 lbs. and of-
fered better mechanical properties. Saving 5 lbs. per part
over several parts adds up to serious fuel savings when you
consider that American Airlines claims it will save $1.2
million in fuel per year by switching from 35-lb. paper
manuals to a 1.5-lb. iPad.
In another example, 3D printing enables the integration
IMTS 2016 Additive Manufacturing
Pavilion Showcases Technologies,
Products Ready for Prime Time
A novelty at IMTS 2008, 3D printing is taking its place as
an industrial solution.