The excitement is high for 3D printing.

Yesterday, the 3D printing world saw a new IPO announced and an acquisition.

Belgium-based Materialise NV, which provides 3D printing software to industrial manufacturers and medical equipment makers, filed for an IPO of American Depositary Shares. In the announcement, Materialise said it had provided more than 8,000 3D printing software licenses to over 4,000 customers, including Ford Motor Co, Airbus and Boeing Co.

Meanwhile, 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) announced that it acquired Medical Modeling Inc., a leading provider of personalized surgical treatments and patient specific medical devices, including virtual surgical planning and clinical transfer tools, using 3D modeling and printing that is rapidly changing how reconstructive surgery is done today.

Today, there are 4,000 attendees at the second annual Inside 3D Printing conference and expo in New York City, hailing from over 45 countries and 43 U.S. states. These attendees will hear from 56 speakers and get to shake hands with 37 exhibitors.

3D Systems CEO Avi Reichental started his keynote on a personal note with a story about his grandfather, who was a shoe cobbler and made shoes to measure. Reichental said on a somber note that he did not have a photo of his grandfather, who perished in the Holocaust. 

Reichental said he inherited “his [grandfather's] passion for making,” and sees a connection between his grandfather’s trade and 3D printing, in that 3D printing enables localized digital craftsmanship.

Reichental then showed a picture of the very first 3D printed part, created in 1983 by Chuck Hull, the same man who founded 3D Systems and launched the 3D printing industry. From there, Reichental shared his vision for the future of digital manufacturing, from aerospace advancements to medical devices and beyond.

Below is a photo of Reichental wearing bespoke 3D printed eyewear from pq. No hinges!

Reichental highlighted Project Ara, the 3D printed phone coming to market early next year from Google. This phone is modular, allowing a user to swap out components based on whatever is most important to them. This is part of a movement Reichental articulated as cloud-enabled 3D printing at scale.

Reichental continued to dazzle the audience with examples of 3D printing coming to the kitchen, disrupting the toy market, and changing the fashion industry.

The conference is off to a good start! Want to know what else to expect? Read our exclusive preview of Inside 3D Printing.

Hi Folks!

Here at On 3D Printing, we are gearing up to bring you first-hand coverage of this week’s Inside 3D Printing Conference and Expo to be held Thursday and Friday at New York’s Javits Convention Center and hosted by Media Bistro.

We are looking forward to the conference, which now features an additional instructional day at the outset of the conference dedicated exclusively to workshops in addition to its traditional keynote and dual-track breakout panel format.

In addition to the conference and expo, there is also a designated workshop day on April 2 for industry practioners. The Media Bistro site shows that three out of four workshops are already sold out.

We look forward to bringing you coverage on these discussions.  Several topics from the workshop day include:  ”From CAD to Scanning:  Introduction to  Design,” which will feature a “soup to nuts” introduction to the fundamentals of real-time imaging and 3D CAD design software; and “Tools of Creation and the Future of Retail,” in which Isaac Katz will expand upon his account of how 3D printing will change the retail experience and provide a preview of his Interactive Design customer co-design interface.

Another new feature announced by Media Bistro for this iteration of Inside 3D Printing is the new Maker Summit & Pavilion, a special section of the trade show floor dedicated to makers, DIY enthusiasts, consumers and so-called “prosumers.”

This feature appears to be designed to provide unique exhibition and collaboration opportunities to makers, tinkerers and DIY enthusiasts.  Additionally, the Maker Summit and Pavilion will showcase the recent work of artists such as Ioan Florea, who developed a unique “liquid metal finish” process he used to create a highly reflective 3D printed metal car body appliqué which he fused to a traditionally manufactured Ford Taurino to create a unique look.

At On 3D Printing, we are interested to see how the Maker Summit and Pavilion expands the reach of prior conference expos and workshops, particularly in terms of facilitating practical applications for makers and new businesses.

In terms of the Keynote offerings, we also noticed a broadening range of industries represented, with the speakers including major players in the areas of 3D design software and industrial application.

Notable among these are Carl Bass, President and CEO of Autodesk, who will deliver a keynote on April 4 titled “the Future of Manufacturing: 3D Printing and Beyond,” which seems poised to cover the general landscape for the rapid prototyping industry and the broader manufacturing sector as a whole.

Other keynote headliners include Christine Furstoss, Global Technology Director of Manufacturing & Materials Technologies at GE, and Curtis Carson, Head of Systems Integration for Centre of Competence Manufacturing Engineering at Airbus, will be discussing specific applications of rapid prototyping technology in aircraft production, medical devices and other manufacturing sectors.

Industry heavyweights and innovators like Avi Reichental of 3D Systems and Maxim Lobovsky of Formlabs will also be delivering keynotes set to address innovation and the overall impact of 3D printing technology.

In a sign of the industry’s growing awareness of the investment landscape, Industry analyst Terry Wohlers will share his perspective on investments in the 3D printing industry following a debut year for 3D printing IPOs.  Wohlers predicts that the industry will top $6 billion by 2017 and top $10.8 billion by 2021.

Prospective attendees and industry enthusiasts can visit the Inside 3D Printing website for an agenda and further information.

This article was written by Lisa Perez, a regular contributor to On 3D Printing.

In less than two weeks, Inside 3D Printing Conference and Expo will take over the Javits Convention Center in New York City for two full days of comprehensive programming, impressive exhibits, 3D printer giveaways, and more. The conference, which is expecting more than 3,000 attendees, will feature a startup competition, exhibits on 3D printing design and business, hands-on workshops, and more.

Session topics will explore the current state of the 3D printing industry, the capabilities of modern technologies, and what’s on the horizon for this exciting field. Comprehensive programming has been scheduled for April 3 and 4, including presentations titled “3D Printing, Past and Future,” “Virtual Surgical Planning in Craniofacial Surgery,” “How Professional Investors are Playing the 3D Printing Boom,” “Using 3D Printing to Eat Healthier,” and more. View the full agenda here.

With 3D printing DIY and design attracting growing interest, the conference has added a separate track of programming geared towards the Maker community. A special section of the exhibit floor has also been dedicated for art, fashion, and creativity within 3D printing. The Maker Summit and Pavilion will explore how even those who are new to 3D printing can use these technologies to craft and create objects.

We’re partnering with Inside 3D Printing NYC to offer 10% OFF full conference passes with code ON3DP. If you register before April 3 you’ll save an extra $300 on on-site prices. Click here to register now.

Inside 3D Printing will be hosting additional conferences this year in Seoul, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Santa Clara, and Milan. Click here to see the full world tour schedule.

Facebooke has just turned tene last monthe. Amaze.

Such much has changed since the very beginning. Wow. Very much so good memes were posted on this social network. Much more wow will be if it will be three dee printed.

Alright, let’s get serious… Yes, Facebook has really turned 10 this month. Yes, it has changed a lot since 2004. It has become a tool for communication between people. It has changed even the way how people interact with each other.

Sharing is caring? Sharing is laughing! Internet memes – that is something that had become big during these 10 years. Of course, you have seen at least one of them online. (Probably, even more than one.) Jackie Chan? Beyonce? Anybody? Yeah, we see that troll face you are making!

Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to see a meme in reality!

Make a 3D printable meme and get so much wow prizes from our sponsors for the best 3D printable model and portfolio. You and your friends will be a part of jury – likes and shares of your model will be counted as points. So, do not forget to share and promote your model online.

This is the latest competition from 3D printable model marketplace CGTrader. The winner will receive:

• Tazz 3 3D printer from Lulzbot
• 200 USD gift card to shop on Sculpteo
• Promotional features of 3D printed design on Mashable
• 100 USD gift card to shop on Protoparadigm
• Filaments from 3D 2Print
• 300 USD from CGTrader
• CGTrader T-shirt

Plus prizes for the runners up. Visit CGTrader to learn more.