Avi Reichental is CEO of the $5 billion 3D printing market leader 3D Systems. After delivering an inspiring keynote at  at the Inside 3D Printing conference in San Jose, Mr. Reichental gave On 3D Printing an exclusive interview, where we discussed the future of materials for 3D printing, materials safety, unintended consequences and risks, and of course, M&A.

Watch the video below to see the full interview.

Related stories:

• 3D Systems Continues Acquisition Trail with 3D Printing Startup The Sugar Lab
• 3D Systems: Will the 3D Printing Giant Continue to Thrive?
• 3D Systems Acquires UK-Based Rapid Prototyping Firm CRDM
• 3D Systems CEO Predicts Moore’s Law Will Hit 3D Printing Technology – Inside 3D Printing Chicago
• 3D Systems Issues New Common Stock; Watch Out for M&A
• 3D Systems: Geomagic Design to Advance CAD and 3D Printing

Attend Inside 3D Printing San Jose – 15% Discount

The Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo will continue its world tour in San Jose, California on September 17-18. With a new city, speakers, and exhibitors, this event is one that shouldn’t be missed by those interested in the business and applications of 3D printing.

The event’s proximity to Silicon Valley makes it an ideal place to hold the event, attracting leaders in the valley’s startup community. We’ve partnered with the event to again bring you a 15% discount: ON3D.

Carl Bass, President & CEO of Autodesk, Avi Reichental, President & CEO of 3D Systems, and S. Scott Crump, Founder of Stratasys, will deliver the conference’s three keynote addresses.

Crump will also participate in the session, 3D Printing Pioneers, which will bring together Carl Deckard, Polymer Scientist, Structured Polymers, and Chuck Hull, Co-Founder, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, 3D Systems. The three creators of FDM, SLS, and SLA will discuss their early technical and commercial challenges, and what it took to become successful.

Additional sessions include The 10 Principles of 3D Printing, Leveraging 3D Printing Through Innovative Design for Space Exploration, The Promise of Distributed Manufacturing, The Financial Landscape, and Local Connectivity & 3D Printing: How It Got Here and Where It Will Take Us. View the full program.

New exhibitors including Artec Group, Made in Space, Fathom, GoEngineer, will join the conference’s expo hall with the likes of Stratasys and 3D Systems. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the latest 3D printers and services and watch them in action.

PERK: Enter our discount code: ON3D for 15% off your full conference pass. For the best rates, register before August 21.

Inside 3D Printing Chicago – What We Saw

Looking ahead to the next Inside 3D Printing conference in San Jose (September 17-18, 2013), we’ve identified some of the key takeaways from the most recent Inside 3D Printing Conference and Expo in Chicago.  The below summary lays out both what we learned during the conference about recent developments in the 3D printing (additive manufacturing) revolution and some of the core challenges still facing the industry.  Through their insightful remarks, Inside 3D Printing’s speakers made clear that this technology is capable of unleashing human creativity beyond the limits of what we consider possible today.

Professor Hod Lipson emphasized during his lecture that the future of 3D printing is one of portable, instant manufacturing where complexity is free, and we can create any object we are capable of imagining with zero constraints and zero lead time.  Prof. Lipson’s lecture, along with keynotes by industry heavyweights and a range of tutorial presentations, made clear that the industry continues to make significant strides forward.

Among these positive developments is the fact that, according to Lipson, better, cheaper and faster machines continue to be introduced in a wider range of materials.  Conference exhibitors presented machines capable of printing in alternative materials like copy paper, wood, and rubber-like plastic materials, among many others.  Speakers also emphasized that makers and scholars are working to increase the use of natural raw materials in 3D printing processes, which now include sawdust, salt and wood, among others.  It is also possible to print in more environmentally friendly materials such as bioplastics and in live materials such as human cells.

It is also worth noting that today’s 3D printers can print functional parts in multiple materials seamlessly and with no assembly required.  These parts have already met with a wide range of applications, including engine parts, prosthetics and outer casings for electronic components, among others.  Prof. Lipson anticipates that future printers will be able to create and combine new forms of materials, as well as print integrated systems containing electrical and later digital components.

Importantly, 3D printing has allowed designers to consider a new approach to design.  Inside 3D Printing made clear that the concept of “design for manufacture” is starting to fade with the onset of 3D printing.  Conference presenters Isaac Katz, Michael Schmidt and Francis Bitonti noted that artists and designers are now able to design and 3D print virtually any geometric structure their minds can conjure.  This ability, when paired with the high precision capability of virtual effects and CAD software, now allows designers and makers to think about creating as nature does.  The ultimate impact of this exciting development is that the objects we make can now reflect the organic, layered, fluid and undulating structures found in nature – structures that would be cost prohibitive or impossible to make otherwise.

Inside 3D Printing also provided an opportunity for Michael Raphael of Direct Dimensions to update participants on the impressive capability of 3D scanning technologies.  Raphael noted that, 3D scanning technology has also seen ”massive change” over the past three years thanks to the growth of the 3D printing industry and other technologies like smartphones and GPS.  Scanning equipment has become more powerful, portable, and affordable.  In the past three years, the price of high end scanning equipment has decreased dramatically, with gear that formerly carried a price tag of over $100,000 now available for purchase for under $1,000.  Mobile and video game applications like 123D Catch and Microsoft Kinect have also made 3D scanning technology more widely available and this trend is expected to continue with the release of the Kinect 2.  Applications for 3D scanning technologies are also wide ranging, from current uses in high definition surveying to potential future uses in mass customer apparel.

At Inside 3D Printing Chicago, attendees were able to watch industry leaders engage the market in new ways.  For example, 3D Systems CEO Avi Reichental announced during his keynote speech a new strategic alliance with Deloitte to assist companies in adopting 3D printing design and manufacturing solutions.  Disney Entrepreneur in Residence Cydni Tetro also evaluated the role of 3D printing in retail and illustrated how the Disney Company has applied 3D printing technology to create premium retail experiences like the “Carbon-Freeze Me Experience,” which allows Star Wars fans to purchase a 3D printed image of themselves appearing to be frozen in carbonite.

In addition to highlighting these and many other exciting developments in the industry, Inside 3D Printing also raised a number of questions about the future of the technology and its impact on existing processes.  As the technology develops, 3D Printing has identified several key questions for industry participants to consider moving forward:

1. How will materials experts within the industry, as well as the maker community, continue to harness the technology into practical applications and make it widely accessible?
2. What will be the environmental impact of 3D printing, and how will the ability to print objects in more varied and earth-friendly materials develop?
3. What will be the social impact of this technology?

Ultimately, despite the naysayers, Inside 3D Printing provided an opportunity for speakers, exhibitors and attendees to share their progress, identify key priorities, and show how 3D printing will transform our future.

Authored by On 3D Printing contributor Lisa M. Pérez, co-founder of Heart Design Inc.

For more coverage on the conference, read our top stories from Day 1 and Day 2.

Inside 3D Printing Chicago: Day 2

Day 2 of the Inside 3D Printing conference in Chicago continued to delight audiences with compelling talks and great networking. Below are the top stories from the day.

3D Systems CEO Predicts Moore’s Law Will Hit 3D Printing Technology – Inside 3D Printing Chicago

Avi Reichental, CEO of 3D Systems, keynoted Day 2 at Inside 3D Printing Chicago with a talk entitled Manufacturing the Future.

Simulation-Based Design for 3D Printing: Special Effects and the Store of the Future

Artist and designer Isaac Katz of Electronic Art Boutique gives an overview of the powerful 3D modeling software programs available on the market today.

3D Printed Fashion: From Fantasy Gowns to Accessible Couture – Inside 3D Printing Chicago

3D printed fashion designers Michael Schmidt and Francis Bitonti speak at the Inside 3D Printing conference in Chicago.

Read our recap from Day 1.

Follow us on Twitter @on3dprinting for more updates.

3D Printing Will Change the Face of Business

Avi Reichental, President and CEO of 3D Systems, opened up this morning’s keynote speech at Inside 3D Printing Chicago with an enthusiastic and insightful view of the present and future of 3D printing. His presentation, Manufacturing the Future, focused on the democratization of 3D printing that will make it ubiquitous and empower anyone to become a maker. For example, one thing 3D Sytems has done is offer the service Cubify, which allows people to use their industrial printers to make objects in plastics, nylon and Zprint. Reichental noted, “whether you’re a deep pocketed corporation or a garage entrepreneur looking to start, it gives anyone access to 3D printing through the cloud.”

Throughout his presentation, he pointed to examples of how 3D printing already impacts our lives in will exponentially continue to do so. From applications in medicine to fashion to automotive, he is a firm believer that additive manufacturing will be an integral part of our everyday lives both in the industrial world and in the comfort of our own homes. He explained how Moore’s Law has begun for this industry and that, “printers are going to double up on performance and double down on costs. Expect printers to become real powerful home appliances. The train has left the station.” Bre Pettis at MakerBot for example, has been a key figure in beginning the process of lowering price to make printers accessible for regular consumers.

Despite rapid growth, there are numerous skeptics that ask: Does 3D printing really scale? Reichental however, emphatically answered “absolutely yes!” To answer skeptics, Reichental presented the example of Invisalign. Last year, he noted, 17.2 million Invisalign braces were made. Each one of them was manufactured in a 3D printing, 24/7, lights out manufacturing faciility. What is also amazing is that each of these designs are unique and distinct to adapt to people’s mouths. Furthermore, it seems like GE believes it will scale with over $3 billion they have invested in advanced digital manufacturing.

To put his money where his mouth is in terms of democratizing 3D printing, Reichental announced two important partnerships for 3D Systems. The first is a partnership with Google – Motorola, where 3D systems has outfitted Google/Moto trucks with their latest technology in order to teach people, mainly teens, how to use 3D printing technology. The trucks will go around college campuses, maker fairs and any other type of creative space where people want to create. The trucks will have the ProJet 3510 and the Projet 460 plus.

On the industrial end, Reichental announced, “this morning we have launched a game changing partnership with Deloitte Consulting to accelerate the way that companies can harness, adapt and implement this disruptive technology into their business model and their manufacturing operations.“ Together, they seek to help companies get educated about the technology and make decisions directionally on what they can do.  After speaking with 3D Systems Chief Marketing Officer, Cathy Lewis, it is clear that education is a big focus for the company and clearly they are doing something concrete about it with these major partnerships. In sum, Reichental believes that this revolution is just beginning and we can expect to see completely new ways to design and manufacture from architecture to medicine and almost anything we can imagine.

Authored by On 3D Printing contributor Rodrigo Garza Zorrilla, technology entrepreneur and advisor.

Avi Reichental image courtesy of @3dsystemscorp. Other photos by On 3D Printing.