3D printing has been touted as being a manufacturing cure-all for a whole host of different applications. The reality is very different, but this doesn't stop the onslaught of news articles proclaiming 3D printing to be the answer. Here's a roundup of the weird and wonderful world of 3D printing in 2019.

Opening the IDTechEx Show! on November 20-21 at the Santa Clara Convention Center are three cornerstone speakers, highlighting key progress and future visions across the topics covered at the event.

The general trend in electronics is towards smaller and faster devices. Now something different is coming to market. The new competitive frontier is form factor: flexible, stretchable and structural electronics.

On November 20 & 21 the IDTechEx Show! opens in the Santa Clara convention center to 3,500 people representing technology scouts and innovation managers from global brands to suppliers from across the value chain.

Since 2014, there has been a surge in investment into companies engaging in the 3D printing of composites, with almost $250 million raised to date. The latest report from IDTechEx "3D Printing Composites 2020-2030: Technology and Market Analysis" authored by Dr Bryony Core and Dr Richard Collins examines the key trends and innovations in this emerging technology.

This is the final article of a three-part series on haptics. Haptics involves the use of technology to stimulate the sense of touch. IDTechEx have been covering the technology behind this important market sector for the last five years, and have just released their latest report: Haptics 2020-2030.

Within the field of 3D printing, there is increasing emphasis on functionality as the industry shifts away from the stereotype of rapid prototyping, and materials are not exempt from such scrutiny. For instance metals such as titanium with excellent tensile strength and low density are ideal for lightweighting applications, and as such demand for these materials is continually increasing. However, for certain applications, metals are not sufficiently lightweight enough, which is where composites come into play. The latest report from IDTechEx, "3D Printing Composites 2020-2030: Technology and Market Analysis", authored by Dr Bryony Core and Dr Richard Collins examines the key trends and innovations in this emerging technology.

The agenda has just been announced for the 16th annual Printed Electronics USA event taking place in Santa Clara, California, on November 20 & 21. This is the world's largest event on flexible, hybrid & printed electronics. Printed Electronics USA is part of the IDTechEx show, which brings together seven key disruptive technologies and their customers in one venue.

This is the second of a three-part series of articles on haptics. Haptics involves the use of technology to stimulate the sense of touch. IDTechEx have been covering the technology behind this important market sector for the last five years, and have just released their latest report: Haptics 2020-2030. See more information on the IDTechEx website or contact research@IDTechEx.com.

IDTechEx will be hosting a free webinar on Wednesday 18 September 2019 titled New Advancements In 3D Printing Composites.

The IDTechEx Launchpad initiative is open to early-stage start-ups, universities, newly spun-out companies, research labs and government labs who can demonstrate a working prototype or product that highlights new advances in any of the related event topics of: electric vehicles, energy storage, graphene, internet of things, printed electronics, sensors, and wearable technology.

This is the first of a three-part series of articles on haptics. Haptics involves the use of technology to stimulate the sense of touch. IDTechEx have been covering the technology behind this important market sector for the last five years, and have just released their latest report: Haptics 2020-2030.

Global awareness of climate change and pollution is increasing, but finding ways to halt our dependence on fossil fuels and plastics is proving extremely difficult. One possible solution is to shift away from petrochemicals towards a biobased feedstock to make plastics, but how realistic is this proposal? IDTechEx uncovers the factors influencing adoption of biobased polymers in their report, "Biobased Polymers 2018-2023: A Technology and Market Perspective".

There is no doubt that 3D bioprinting is a technology of the future. Imagine being able to print a kidney or liver on demand. This is a stark contrast to the long wait for a donor organ today. Currently, the average wait time for a liver is 4 to 5 months, and 2.5 to 3 years for a kidney in the UK. Despite the acceleration in 3D bioprinting research we have witnessed in the past few years, we are still far from the holy grail of printed organs for transplant.

IDTechEx will be hosting a free webinar on Thursday 11 July 2019 titled Manufacturing with Direct Diode Lasers

The 3D printing materials market will be worth $23B in 2029 according to the new IDTechEx Research report on the topic, 3D Printing Materials 2019-2029: Technology and Market Analysis. The report covers current and future technologies, market forecasts and more.

In the recently released report 3D Printing 2019-2029: Technology and Market Analysis, IDTechEx Research forecasts that the global market for 3D printing equipment, materials, software and services is estimated to be worth $31 billion by the year 2029.

The metal 3D printing market will be worth $19B in 2029 as forecast by IDTechEx Research in their latest report on the topic, covering 3D printing of metals technology and market analysis.

The sheer volume of new 3D printing announcements gives the impression that the technology is evolving on a weekly, if not daily basis. Certainly if 2018 set the bar, 2019 has not disappointed to date, with the number of new printer processes commercialized indicating that 3D printing is continuing to gain momentum. Forthcoming reports from IDTechEx Research help to navigate this rapidly moving domain, with three new reports covering the key areas of technological innovation.

Emerging semiconductor laser technologies are revolutionising the industrial material processing and optical sensing markets. Automotive and electronics industries are benefiting greatly from advances in laser manufacturing, 3D sensing and imaging, lidar, and industrial machine vision.