Metal additive manufacturing has seen many trends over recent years including pushing the (build) envelope & deposition rate to higher levels, broadening the materials portfolio, and expanding into new markets. One trend that cannot be overlooked is the number of product launches for low-cost "desktop" variants; the question is will they be successful?

Mention an electronic circuit and you are likely to picture a printed circuit board (PCB): a rigid rectangle in a characteristic green color with copper lines and a bewildering array of components soldered onto it. But does adding electronic functionality means using a PCB and thus requires shoehorning a rigid rectangle into the product?

Thursday 20 August 2020 - Metal Additive Manufacturing: Short-Term Pain, Long-Term Gain - This webinar includes: Overview of latest market forecast and key trends; Technology benchmarking and new entrant analysis; Latest in material considerations and supply chain progressions; and Deep-dive into relevant sectors and the impact of COVID-19.

The new IDTechEx report, "Sensors 2021-2041" uniquely analyses the whole subject in the light of such seismic changes as the COVID-19 virus. The sensor business is in turmoil. The industries that spend most on sensors are changing as are the sensors.

The metal additive manufacturing market will be negatively impacted by the 2020 pandemic. Despite this short-to-mid-term setback, the industry is forecast to rise and exceed $10Bn within the next 10-years. The emerging and established printer players grab nearly all of the headlines, but most of this forecast annual revenue will be in material sales in which there is great untapped potential.

Nearly every sector is proposing the use of artificial intelligence. Materials science R&D is relatively late to this trend, and there are many industry-specific hurdles, but the opportunities are beginning to be realized and the potential impact is significant.

In the future, all materials scientists and chemists will have access to machine learning tools to enhance their R&D. Seamlessly integrating these underlying operations will not happen quickly, but overlooking the developments in materials informatics will lead to a loss of any competitive advantage.

There is little doubt that additive manufacturing will become a key enabling technology across a wide range of sectors. Over the past few years revenues have grown, notable new entrants have emerged, investments have been significant, and material portfolios broadened.

This webinar from IDTechEx will provide - A technical introduction to the field, A discussion as to why now?, An overview of key players and developments, Key commercial outlooks, Critical appraisal of strategic direction available to industrial users, and Success stories.

Learn about electronics as smart materials bypassing the traditional industry.

In-Mold Electronics (IME) is a process that combines printed electronics with 3D forming and molding to create 3D objects with embedded electronics. The electronics can include interconnects, sensors, rigid IC or LEDs, optical waveguides, and so on.

Which Is Better for the Environment? In recent years, plastic production has accelerated, with global plastic set production to reach 600 million tonnes by 2030 if production continues at its current rate of growth. Most of this plastic is not biodegradable, with 30-50% of it being produced for single-use applications.

Fuel cells able to convert hydrogen into electricity are called to play an important role in the energy transition towards a future with zero-emissions.

3D bioprinting provides scientists with the unique ability to create artificial tissue that closely resembles native tissue in form and function. A method of tissue engineering, 3D bioprinting is the precise deposition of cells, typically layer-by-layer, to realize a final 3D construct. Over the years, 3D bioprinting has seen increased adoption as a research tool and as a method for tissue engineering in regenerative medicine.

HP entries into the 3D Printing world have been significant. With both the release of their Jet Fusion and Metal Jet systems they have made waves in the industry. In a press briefing on 4th June 2019 the company announced they are "doubling down" on their progress in digital manufacturing with a string of announcements.

Materials Informatics is the key to enabling a paradigm shift in our approach to materials science R&D. Significant investment, notable adoption from key end-users, and technology leaps make it evident that it's time has come. Through primary-interview based analysis, IDTechEx has introduced the most comprehensive market report on the topic: "Materials Informatics 2020-2030".

An important new trend is buying electrics and electronics you customise to function not just shape. See the new IDTechEx report, "Complete Electronics as Smart Material, User-Customized 2020-2040". Builders, textile manufacturers, those doing home improvement and others are starting to buy electrically-smart materials direct from materials companies, bypassing the electronics industry.

Metallization of 3D surfaces is a growing field with diverse applications. In this article, we briefly discuss some techniques and applications thereof. More specifically, we discuss and critically benchmark laser direct structuring, aerosol, 3D printed electronics, two-shot molding and In-Mold Electronics.

Cardiologists need to rely on the technology at their disposal. Shortages in available donor tissue for cardiac transplantation are driving the development of cardiovascular 3D bioprinting technologies.

IDTechEx calculated that this industry received over $100m in investment in 2019. There are very good reasons for both the composite and 3D printing industry to be excited.