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62 www.CNC-West.com CNC WEST August/September 2018 Trying to analyze the state of Additive Manufactur- ing (AM) technology might feel like trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle as the pieces are being set. Each player in this fast-moving arena presents a piece of the puzzle, and po- tential and current adopters have questions that range from as basic as choosing a material to as advanced as how to accurately confer properties on a molecular level. “To obtain a true sense of what is possible today and, in the future, IMTS 2018 – The International Manufacturing Technology Show, offers an unprecedented concentration of Additive Manufacturing resources,” says Peter R. Eel- man, vice president – Exhibitions & Business Development at AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, which owns and produces IMTS. “In such a short time, the history of IMTS has become synonymous with AM tech- nology breakthroughs.” At IMTS 2018, Eelman predicts that one of the hottest AM topics of discussion will be how to extend the digital thread from design through processing to final part. Held Sept. 10-15 at Chicago’s McCormick Place, the AM resources at IMTS include the Additive Manufacturing Pavilion and a secondAMT’s Emerging Technology Center focused strictly on Additive Manufacturing, both located at the entrance to the West Building in an expanded exhibit space. The AM Pavilion now boasts 56 exhibitors, up from 21 two years ago, plus several exhibitors in other Pavilions who will showcase additive-related technology. During show years, IMTS hosts the Additive Manufac- IMTS 2018 Provides a Great Gathering of Resources for Additive Manufacturing turing Conference presented by Gardner Business Media on Sept. 11-12 and the AppliedAM – Where Additive Minds Meet symposium presented by EOS North America on Sept. 12. In addition, at least six of the technical sessions pre- sented as part of the IMTS Conference will focus on AM technology. “IMTS is valuable for any company that wants to stay competitive,” says Glynn Fletcher, president of EOS North America. “Moving into production with additive manufacturing is a new experi- ence for everybody. That’s why we bring a large team of experts who know the technology and equipment, from engi- neers to service techs. There’s no other place where you can have access to so many experts at one time. It’s a truly unique experience.” The theme for EOS’s IMTS 2018 exhibit is an “Additive Mile” that takes visitors through the progressive steps of a journey in additive manufacturing: prototype, looking at ma- terial options, selecting and optimizing part design, scaling up, production, integration into a facility and ongoing service and upgrades. Learning about New Trends “Additive manufacturing is about solving the problem of high-cost, low-volume manufacturing,” says Ed Israel, president and co-founder of Plural Additive Manufacturing. “There’s been a huge void in the marketplace for companies that couldn’t afford the technology but would benefit from producing good prototype parts and serial manufactured parts using 3D printing. IMTS 2018 is the best place to learn how.” Israel says that he thinks of Plural as an additive manu- facturing integrator that works with customers to help them with any aspect of AM, from parts design all the way through high volume parts production. To help people find the right ways to apply AM, whether within an existing assembly or for new product development, Plural has developed a cost- per-part calculator. “The big issue that will drive additive manufacturing is bringing cost per part down to a point where it can open up new markets, improve margins or accomplish other business