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Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing '98

19 May 1998

Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing '98 Opens Tomorrow, May 19 in Detroit Area, Home of Nearly Nine Percent of All RP Installations in the U.S.

    DEARBORN, Mich., May 18 -- "The Detroit region operates more
rapid prototyping (RP) systems than many industrialized nations and nearly
nine percent of all RP systems installations in the United States," says Dave
Tait, executive vice president of Plynetics Express of Auburn Hills, Mich.
    Tait is a speaker and exhibitor in the Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing
'98 Conference and Exposition that opens tomorrow, May 19 at the Hyatt Regency
in Dearborn and runs through Thursday, May 21.  In conjunction with the
conference, the two-day exposition runs Wednesday, May 20, 9:30 a.m. to
6 p.m., and Thursday, May 21, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and features some 127
exhibitors.
    Now in its sixth year, the Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing '98
Conference and Exposition is expected to draw more than 1,600 engineering
professionals worldwide.  The event is geared toward bridging the gap from
prototype to production and illustrates how RP is impacting rapid
manufacturing.
    Keynote speaker Curtis Bailey, president of Sundberg-Ferar, will present
his views on the rapid prototyping industry.  The address, "Getting Physical
Fast; A Key to Product Development," looks at the processes, people, and
opportunity for innovation in "getting physical fast."
    Terry Wohlers follows the keynote address with the annual presentation on
"The State of the Industry Report."  According to Wohler's 1998 report, motor
vehicles comprise almost 18 percent of the entire worldwide market using rapid
prototyping technology.  The motor vehicles category is second only to
consumer products with 28 percent of the market for RP systems.
    The Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing '98 Conference and Exposition is
sponsored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), Rapid Prototyping
Association of SME (RPA/SME), and the Plastics Molders and Manufacturers
Association of SME (PMMA/SME) in cooperation with the American Foundrymen's
Society, the Canadian Tooling & Manufacturers' Association, and the Molders
Division of SPI.
    RPA/SME, founded in 1993, is dedicated to the advancement of rapid
prototyping technologies in manufacturing.  PMMA/SME was founded in 1997 to
provide comprehensive coverage of the production of plastic parts and
products.
    SME, headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., is an international professional
society dedicated to serving its members and the manufacturing community
through the advancement of professionalism, knowledge, and learning.  Founded
in 1932, SME has 65,000 members in 70 countries.  The Society also sponsors
some 275 chapters, districts and regions, as well as 240 student chapters
worldwide.