RAPID + TCT 2024 highlighted innovations and industry insights
This year, RAPID + TCT 2024 returned to the West Coast of America for the first time in nearly a decade. The event, which took place from June 25-27 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, was reported to have welcomed over 9,000 visitors and hosted some 400+ international exhibitors.
The three-day event featured a conference with over 150 presentations across fourteen tracks, including aerospace, healthcare, defence, energy, and more. There was also a daily Keynote Series, including real-time industry insights from the inaugural Executive Perspectives. Also taking place was the event’s first-ever Hollywood Showcase, displaying AM-produced film assets.
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“The atmosphere at RAPID + TCT 2024 was exhilarating, with attendees from across the community engaging in vibrant discussions, forging new connections and celebrating the transformative potential of AM,” remarked Robert (Bob) Willig, event co-organiser SME’s executive director and CEO. “From seasoned industry veterans to newcomers looking to establish themselves in the field, this year’s experiences provided invaluable opportunities to all it welcomed. We are committed to pushing this technology’s boundaries and empowering manufacturers, engineers and innovators worldwide to discover new solutions and applications.”
On the exhibition floor, Additive Manufacturing companies displayed a range of products from small, intricate parts to life-size statues and real-world race cars. Exhibitors showcased AM machines, new technologies, materials, processes and software solutions, giving attendees a hands-on look at all AM offers across manufacturing sectors.
The first Discovery Zone exhibit floor area served as a launchpad for newcomers and start-ups, providing a platform to showcase novel technologies, applications and concepts in AM for over 125 first-time exhibitors.
AM Industry Awards
The AM Industry Awards recognise notable leaders who have applied AM technology to production and made a significant impact in its commercialisation. For 2024, the award winners included:
- Andreas Vlahinos, PhD, of Advanced Engineering Solutions, received the Aubin Case Study Award for a case study on patient-specific femoral implant with osseointegration
- Paul Gradl received the AM Industry Achievement Award for a longtime career advancing AM in the global aerospace industry, specifically in meeting the needs of NASA missions
- Raffles Institution in Singapore at the high school level, and the University of Waterloo in Canada at the undergraduate and graduate levels, in the Digital Manufacturing Challenge
- Fabrisonic at the 50K level, and Vivid Creative Aquatics at the 10K level — the newest members of the AM Production Club
- Onulis, which received the AM Start-Up Technology Award for its WRAP Prime product — the industry’s first traceable and fully automatic production DLP post-curing unit for ISO 9000 Certified users
It was confirmed that next year, RAPID + TCT 2025 will take place in Detroit, co-locating with both SAE’s WCX and SME’s AeroDef Manufacturing event to reach a broader audience from the automotive and defence sectors.
