Abstract
3D printing has received a great deal of attention over the past two years. However, many people are unaware that “3D Printing” is an umbrella term that encompasses more than a dozen very different additive manufacturing technologies such as laser sintering, thermoplastic extrusion, layered inkjet printing, and electron beam melting. Depending on the process chosen, one can 3D print polymer, metal, or even ceramic components. This talk will open with a brief overview of the most commercially significant 3D printing processes. Some interesting applications made possible by 3D printing will then be presented. These applications include custom athletic equipment, titanium bone implants, and hearing aid inserts. Lastly, exciting recent developments involving the integration of printed electronics within 3D printed parts will be discussed.
Biography
Dr. Denis Cormier is the Earl W. Brinkman Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology. His teaching and research interests focus on additive manufacturing (commonly known as 3D printing) for synthesis of novel materials and geometric structures. His research has led to several key commercially implemented process enhancements in the electron beam melting (EBM) metal additive process. Prior to joining RIT in 2009, he was a professor at North Carolina State University for 15 years. He is a founding member of ASTM’s F-42 additive manufacturing standards group, and he also serves on the Society of Manufacturing Engineer’s Rapid Technologies and Additive Manufacturing steering committee. He received SME’s Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineering award in 2003.
