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Described as “North America’s largest and most influential Additive Manufacturing event” on its site, RAPID + TCT 2023 was held in Chicago from May 2-4. Keypoint Intelligence’s Anthony Sci (President and CEO), Pete Emory (Director of Research & Lab Services US/Asia), and Matt Kenney (Account Director) had the pleasure of attending—this was our sixth time being there in person, with one virtual appearance as well. Meeting with over 30 OEM representatives that span the breadth additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and getting some interesting feedback from those in the 3D space about potential ways to better the market, the event brought about some interesting and valuable takeaways.
Discussions Were Had, Concerns Were Spoken
With over 350 exhibits and a legion of vendors, one thing that was noticeably consistent was the concern for what the AM space is lacking. A very clear message was given from nearly every representative in each meeting, while a host of the people we spoke with showed interest in head-to-head competitive studies and help with brand awareness.
“It felt like attendance was a bit slow compared to previous years, a point many exhibitors agreed on,” Kenney said. “And a lot of the people we spoke with—CEOs, sales, marketing, product/tech—agreed that the market is still a bit immature and the need for independent validation is definitely there.”
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Metal Was a Popular Medium
The most popular printing material at this year’s event was metal, which offers many benefits including lower costs, no need for molds/casting, and new design possibilities. “Quite a few vendors broke away from their standard materials and stepped into new areas,” Emory noted. “For example, Ultimaker was a vendor we spoke with that offered PLA, ABS, and nylon products about five years ago, but now it has moved way upstream to not only offer third-party support but polymers and metals, too.”
Part of the benefits of using metal in 3D printing comes from the material itself. AM printing parts that would normally need to be casted in other mediums (taking several days for each piece) can be made in a day. In addition, intricate metal parts that would not be possible to be assembled as a standard piece can be printed as one part. Metal also offers a greater degree of stability and durability compared to plastics and ceramics, allowing it to be used in other industries such as automotive or aeronautics.
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The Award Goes To…
Along with the release of the XiP Pro desktop resin 3D printer at the event, Nexa3D received Keypoint Intelligence’s first-ever Analyst Choice Award in Additive Manufacturing for the Nexa3D XiP. Check out the award announcement here!
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| Michael Currie, Nexa3D’s Chief Product Officer, was very happy to win Keypoint Intelligence’s initial award in additive manufacturing. |
Keypoint Intelligence Opinion
We have been testing various 3D desktop products within the $10K and below price range, so we are very excited to move forward and expand into new verticals to help the AM community. During RAPID, we were able to connect with vendors and chat about the need to test 3D scanning and solutions. These discussions were robust and informative—we heard their needs and look forward to developing programs to support the AM industry moving forward.
The future is bright—and it’s in 3D.
For more information on 3D print, head to The Key Point Blog and The Key Point Podcast. Log in to the InfoCenter to view research on additive manufacturing through our Functional & Industrial Print Advisory Service. If you’re not a subscriber, contact us for more info by clicking here.
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