3D printer news and 3D printing industry insights from CES 2017 on day three. Today we take a look at 3D printing electronics with Nano Dimension, see some fantastic 3D prints from the DWS booth and get 3D printing industry forecasts for 2017 from industry experts.
DWS bring stunning high resolution 3D prints to CES
Italian 3D printer company DWS really know how to catch our eye at 3D Printing Industry. We were impressed by the high quality and fine resolution of their SLA 3D printers when we visited them at last year’s Formnext 3D printing expo in Frankfurt.
For CES 2017 DWS did not disappoint. The 3D prints from their XFAB and range of professional 3D printers look great. The company have brought the work of 3D designers and artists like Pininfarina to life and their enclosed booth in the Sands Expo center is almost like entering an art gallery. The pictures speak for themselves.
We’ll be taking a closer look at DWS and the artists and 3D designers they are working with soon, so make sure you subscribe to our newsletter if you don’t want to miss out. Also, you can find out more about how DWS used 3D printing to preserve history in our article here.
Authentise CEO shares 3D printing industry insights
3D printer manufacturers are not the only companies from the 3D printing industry in attendance at this years CES. Authentise are a company 3DPI follow closely and have reported on extensively in the past. The U.S. software company has successfully used their 3Diax product to improve efficiency and enhance automation for large sportswear makers, industrial companies and 3D printing bureaus. As we often see at 3DPI the names of these clients remain confidential as they do not wish to share the competitive edge that 3D printing and associated technology gives them.
3DPI asked Authentise CEO Andre Wegner for his perspective on CES 2017.
The Mark Forged Metal X was obviously one of the most interesting things on site. I was also very impressed with Sculpteo. Their list of achievements over the years printed on the back of the booth was impressive, and their move into metal is thoughtful and deliberate. The software tools they are publishing to help people prepare their prints for additive are a real boon to the industry and a great way to bring clients in. On the thought leadership side, I was very impressed with Bill McInnis’s presentation about Reebok’s 3D printing advances.
Looking to the year ahead for 3D printing in 2017 Wegner has a few predictions as additive manufacturing begins to move further into production. “So far, GE and a few healthcare examples are the only public ones, but several initiatives have been going on since the market hit its peak in 2012/13.” Wegner explains that because such industrialization of 3D printing can “take 4-7 years to mature” the 3D printing industry is approaching a very exciting time,
That puts us in the sweet spot now. This also means that solutions that support scaling additive production are going to benefit. Software, in particular, is going to make a switch from CAD-centric to data-centric as production moves ahead of R&D.
The Authentise CEO’s takeaway from CES 2017 is that with companies like UPS and SAP speaking at the event, “It’s exciting to us that large companies such as those two are taking such an active stand in an area we have long held dear but which we have found to not be ready for the “prime time” yet.”
We’re excited to be a part of the movement now that it’s beginning and think there is much opportunity in it. However, there are many other ways – aside from focusing on supply chain disruption – that are going to drive initial value, increases in centralized production prime among them.
Nano Dimension: 3D Printing Electronics
With their Dragonfly 2020 3D printer, Nano Dimension are 3D printing electronics. We’ve spoken extensively with the Nano Dimension team in the past and you can read our in depth interview here. Simon Fried, Nano Dimension co-founder and CBO, took time away from the busy show to tell us how CES was going and his view of 3D printing in 2017.
This year has been great and thanks to Uber and lyft it seems that getting around is a bit easier! As ever it’s an amazing focal point with the opportunity to meet colleagues, competitors, investors and customers all over one coffee (or cocktail).
Fried has been checking out some of the other 3D printers at CES and told me about some of the other interesting things at the show included, “Seeing the multi nozzle 3D printer from Autodesk desk.” The Nano Dimension co-founder added that he also saw a, “very cool 3D hologram fan from London based Kino-mo.”
I asked Simon Fried about his forecasts for the 3D printing industry in 2017,
There’s a lot of new stuff coming like desktop metal, more feedback on HP, more energy out of Stratasys and 3D systems and of course our commercial launch. We’ve been running live demos together with FATHOM at the show.
Fried went on to tell 3DPI about the response of the public during CES and how people in general are beginning to understand more about 3D printers.
We speak to a non traditional 3d audience, Electronics engineers, and they love the fact that their turn to benefit from 3D printing has finally come. In general the understanding has changed, people are asking all of the right questions… Like: can it scale? What’s the application? Where does it fit into my processes? Can play a hybrid additive role within my current processes? What can the materials do and what’s the material roadmap?
Basically, it’s grown up a lot.
At 3DPI we’re also looking forward to seeing how Nano Dimension grow during 2017.
3D printers and 3D printing at CES 2017
You catch up with our earlier coverage of CES 2017 by following the links below.
CES opened with a Drone Rodeo on Wednesday, 3DPI took a look at how 3D printing for drones and UAV can be used.
During day two at CES 2017 we looked at 3D printing news from Polaroid, Airwolf3D, ALGIX3D, ESUN and more 3D scanning and 3D printing companies.
Also, don’t forget that nominations for the 1st Annual 3D Printing Industry Awards are now open.
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Featured image shows 3D prints from the DWS at CES 2017.
