Many industry followers have concluded that the hype around 3D printing is peaking right now. The media coverage is massive, and President Obama even mentioned it in his State of The Union speech.
According to Analyst Gartner Group's Hype Cycle, which looks the hype surrounding various technology trends, consumer 3D printing is at the very top of "the peak of inflated expectations", slightly above things like Big Data and Gamification. However, industrial uses of 3D printing have had time to mature quite a bit, reaching what Gartner calls "the slope of enlightenment".
For example, aircraft manufacturer Airbus now 3D-prints metal parts for its 300-series of aircrafts, including the latest model A350XWB. According to Airbus's Peter Sander there's a lot to be gained. Not only are the printed parts up to 50 per cent lighter, they're also stronger.
In this TV Report, Verdi Ogewell and his team look beyond the hype and interview the people and the companies driving the technology forward. In this report, you'll hear from:
- Greg Mark, who is breaking new ground with his new MarkForg3d printer - the first one in the world to print carbon fiber.
- Bruce Bradshaw and Jonathan Cobb of Stratasys about the industrial uses of 3D Printing and the development of new materials
- Kris Iverson of Microsoft about their entry into the 3D Printing market