RAPID + TCT is North America’s leading trade show dedicated to 3D printing and the additive manufacturing industry. This year’s event focused on the real innovations in the industry and how they are pushing other industries forward—like in medtech, where precision 3D printing is being incorporated into guidelines for devices that are bettering healthcare. The BMF team had the pleasure of exhibiting and presenting at RAPID + TCT 2023 in Chicago and shared their top takeaways from the show.
Additive Manufacturing delivers more options than ever before
There’s never been more advanced technology, materials, software and automation options for customers who use additive manufacturing. This abundance of choice, however, is also a challenge. With an overload of information to digest and understand about the options available to them, customers might find it hard to differentiate between what appears to be a solution and how well it will actually solve the problem. For example, BMF’s open micro 3D printing material systems allow customers to print with specifically formatted liquid polymers or other materials of choice to achieve the results required based on the application, such as a biocompatible resin suitable for non-implantable medical applications. Our advice is to engage with the vendor, have an open conversation about the problem you are trying to solve, and then send the digital data to print a sample before deciding on a final solution.
The value of a 3D printed prototype
3D printing has long been known to deliver rapid prototypes, but this same benefit can be used to show customers their fully formulated parts before they move into full production. While samples can help point a customer in the right direction, before investing in the materials and method, customers should be able to see the final product. That’s the flexibility that high-precision 3D printing offers to customers—parts can be printed in small quantities to finalize the design. This is especially important for our customers who need micro or nano-sized parts.
In early 2020, BMF launched globally and invested early in the capacity to be able to make samples or benchmarks to help customers understand the possibilities of additive manufacturing versus injection molding for their specific use case. Because customers were able to see the value through the prototypes of their parts made using BMF’s technology, they were interested in the machine – even without seeing it live.
Seeing is believing
Trade shows have long been and continue to be a great way to introduce prospective customers to new technology and capacity. BMF’s printed objects are hard to picture due to their highly precise size and scale—some smaller than a strand of human hair—and the ability to micro manufacture products that are that small can be hard to believe. The value of seeing a printed part next to an already small object, like a thumbtack or a coin, makes the possibilities a reality. For many BMF customers, seeing is believing. Couldn’t make it to RAPID +TCT? Check out AM News Live’s booth interview of BMF’s CEO John Kawola on the show floor.
On the road again
Starting in June 2023, BMF will be starting a series of seminars across the U.S. to help bring the power of seeing this technology firsthand to companies that are looking to reimagine their manufacturing of high precision parts with 3D printing. Our series will kick off with a lunch workshop on June 14th in Kendall Square in Cambridge, MA.
Interested attendees can register through this link for a chance to witness the power of high precision 3D printing and learn how we’re helping drive miniaturization across industries like technology, electronics, and medtech.
Can’t make it on the 14th? Be on the lookout on our LinkedIn page for a seminar near you!
