Annual Wohlers Conference at EuroMold to Reveal the Truth Behind the Additive Manufacturing Supply Chain

FRANKFURT, GERMANY, and FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, USA, September 30, 2014—DEMAT GmbH and Wohlers Associates, Inc. have announced the 16th Annual International Wohlers Conference, to be held at EuroMold 2014 in Frankfurt, Germany. This year’s conference, titled The Truth Behind the Additive Manufacturing Supply Chain, will occur on Thursday, November 27. Past conferences have focused on the most important developments and trends in rapid product development, additive manufacturing (AM), and 3D printing. The EuroMold trade fair is November 25–28 at the Exhibition Center Frankfurt. This year’s event marks the 21th anniversary of EuroMold.

The Wohlers conference will concentrate on the supply of AM machines, materials, and services worldwide. Over the past 24 months, AM has gripped the attention of the media, national governments, investors, and corporations around the world. Some of the biggest companies and brands are investigating AM. Adobe, Amazon, Airbus, Autodesk, Boeing, Dell, GE, Google, Hewlett–Packard, Microsoft, Staples, and UPS are among the companies that have made some level of commitment to the technology. Many others are evaluating it.

Speakers at the conference will discuss the many opportunities and challenges associated with the present and future AM supply chain. “It is not as evolved as it may seem,” said Terry Wohlers, principal consultant and president of Wohlers Associates. “Investment is at an all-time high, and it will certainly help, but enormous hurdles must be overcome,” Wohlers explained.

Dr.-Ing. Eberhard Döring, CEO of DEMAT, the company that organizes EuroMold, agrees. “EuroMold exhibitors are presented with vast opportunities in additive manufacturing,” he said. “However, so much work needs to be done. EuroMold is the perfect place to discuss problems and solutions, negotiate partnerships, and initiate new projects that can make a difference,” Döring stated.

The conference includes expert speakers from Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the USA. They were selected for their expertise in research, development, and business, as well as their strong reputation internationally in additive manufacturing. Collectively, they represent decades of knowledge and experience in AM and 3D printing. Anyone exploring opportunities in AM will not want to miss this event.

EuroMold 2014 is expected to draw more than 50,000 international visitors and 1,000+ exhibitors from over 30 countries. Among them will be 100 first-time exhibitors. Last year, designers, engineers, managers, executives, and others from 92 countries attended EuroMold. 

Wohlers Associates is an independent consulting firm that provides technical, market, and strategic advice on the new developments and trends in rapid product development, additive manufacturing, and 3D printing. For more information, go to wohlersassociates.com. 

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The November 27, 2014 conference will feature the following topics and speakers:

Welcome
Dr.-Ing. Eberhard Döring, Chief Executive Officer
DEMAT GmbH (Germany)

Keynote: Opportunities and Challenges for Future Industrial Production
Mr. Peter Sander, Vice President and Manager, Emerging Technologies & Concepts
Airbus Operations GmbH Hamburg (Germany)

The Impact of Recent Developments in AM
Mr. Terry Wohlers, Principal Consultant and President
Wohlers Associates, Inc. (USA)

Implications of AM on the Supply Chain and Vice Versa
Dr. Olaf Rehme, Project Manager for Additive Manufacturing
Corporate Technology, Research & Technology Center, Siemens AG (Germany)

HP’s Digitization Journey in Print Manufacturing: Lessons for 3D Printing
Mr. J. Scott Schiller, Worldwide Director, HP 3D Printing
Graphics Solutions Business, Hewlett-Packard Company (Spain)

The Industrialization of Metal Powders
Mr. John E. Barnes, Director of High Performance Metal Technologies
CSIRO (Australia)

Current AM Production and Near Term Evolution
Mr. Paolo Gennaro, Additive Manufacturing Sales Director
AvioAero (Italy)

Additive Manufacturing in China
Dr. Xiaoshu Xu, CEO and Technical Director
Hunan Farsoon High-tech Co., Ltd. (China)

Printing the Future of Optics
Mr. Richard van de Vrie, President and CEO
LUXeXceL Group (Netherlands)

The Realities of Direct Metal Printing
Dr. Ing. Jonas Van Vaerenbergh, Operations Manager, Direct Metal Printing
LayerWise (Belgium)

Business-to-Consumer Supply Chains in 3D Printing
Mr. Tim Caffrey, Senior Consultant
Wohlers Associates, Inc. (USA)