Ann R. Thryft

December 9, 2015

2 Min Read
8 New 3D Printing Technologies From Formnext & the AM Factory of Tomorrow

Last month, engineers and others interested in prototyping and end-production using 3D printing (3DP) and additive manufacturing (AM) were attending the Formnext trade show in Frankfurt, Germany. So were representatives from several 3DP companies, showing off new systems, functions, and concepts.

Two main themes stand out: metals and more metals for fabricating high-quality end-products, and, not coincidentally, more in-process automated control and monitoring for the same reasons. In the view of at least some in the industry, these are ultimately aimed at enabling fully digital manufacturing by creating an entire ecosystem that makes it possible to link design and manufacturing with the "digital thread," as we heard from David Leigh of Stratasys Direct Manufacturing earlier this year.

At Formnext, Concept Laser displayed its architecture of the digital manufacturing environment, which it calls the AM Factory of Tomorrow. Based on modular configurations, this somewhat parallels Additive Industries' MetalFAB1 3D printing system. We tell you about both of these in the slideshow below.

Click on the image to see a sampling of new products, technologies, and manufacturing concepts from Formnext 2015:


READ MORE ARTICLES ON 3D PRINTING:

Ann R. Thryft is senior technical editor, materials & assembly, for Design News. She's been writing about manufacturing- and electronics-related technologies for 27 years, covering manufacturing materials & processes, alternative energy, and robotics. In the past, she's also written about machine vision and all kinds of communications.

Like reading Design News? Then have our content delivered to your inbox every day by registering with DesignNews.com and signing up for Design News Daily plus our other e-newsletters. Register here!


Design engineers and professionals, the West Coast's most important design, innovation, and manufacturing event, Pacific Design & Manufacturing, is taking place in Anaheim, Feb. 9-11, 2016. A Design News event, Pacific Design & Manufacturing is your chance to meet qualified suppliers, get hands-on access to the latest technologies, be informed from a world-class conference program, and expand your network. (You might even meet a Design News editor.) Learn more about Pacific Design & Manufacturing here.

About the Author(s)

Ann R. Thryft

Ann R. Thryft has written about manufacturing- and electronics-related technologies for Design News, EE Times, Test & Measurement World, EDN, RTC Magazine, COTS Journal, Nikkei Electronics Asia, Computer Design, and Electronic Buyers' News (EBN). She's introduced readers to several emerging trends: industrial cybersecurity for operational technology, industrial-strength metals 3D printing, RFID, software-defined radio, early mobile phone architectures, open network server and switch/router architectures, and set-top box system design. At EBN Ann won two independently judged Editorial Excellence awards for Best Technology Feature. She holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Stanford University and a Certified Business Communicator certificate from the Business Marketing Association (formerly B/PAA).

Sign up for the Design News Daily newsletter.

You May Also Like