Industry Predictions for 2020 by XponentialWorks’s Avi Reichental and 3DQue Systems’s Steph Sharp

Avi Reichental Founder and CEO   XponentialWorks

I believe that in 2020 the 3D printing industry will come together to demonstrate convincingly that additive manufacturing is the most sustainable manufacturing technology available. I hope by the end of the decade that Additive Manufacturing will be the defining transformative force in democratizing habitat and mobility on earth and in space.

Steph Sharp        Co-Founder & CEO 3DQue Systems

2020 is the year that in-house 3D printing will start to be seen as a viable, sustainable alternative to outsourcing mid-volume orders of plastic parts. Even as the manufacturing sector is slowing down, 3D printers are producing higher quality parts at a lower cost. Manufacturers under pressure to reduce lead times and inventory levels will turn their attention to adoption of fully autonomous 3D printing networks to deliver quality parts on demand. This focus on innovation will also help companies achieve their sustainability goals by reducing bulk shipping and warehousing and reducing waste.

2020 will be a difficult year.  Major currents in technology, such as Artificial Intelligence, Biomechanics and Additive Manufacturing, will be tempered by the state of markets and the economy.  It appears as if the big slowdown is finally upon us.  Will the US dollar relinquish its status as the world reserve currency? Will a liquidity shortage extend beyond banks into commercial enterprises?  Will credit for large commercial enterprises dry-up and restrict investment?  Will a recession turn into a run on banks and global depression?  Hard times appear to be ahead.  Yet innovation and its younger sister creativity continue to drive society forward.  So, here are some trends that should shake up 2020 and beyond.

Internet of Things (IOT)
The grand expectation of the internet of things is coming to fruition.  Connectivity between the world wide web and day to day hardware will continue to infiltrate every nook and cranny of our lives.  Very soon, Alexa will not be the only unfamiliar voice in our homes, shops and offices.  Unfortunately, privacy will continue to take a back seat during this expansion.  Our smart refrigerator will not only chat with our toaster but also keep track of our purchases in order to inform “interested parties” about our purchasing habits, which could be good or bad depending upon one’s point of view.  As a pioneer in the integration of sensor hardware with adaptive and intelligent software, AlphaSTAR understands the value of IOT and incorporates the technology into products and solutions where possible and logical.  In the case of Additive Manufacturing, our AlphaSTAR products take advantage of in-situ monitoring, big data process, real time visualization and feed forward control.  However, it does not stop there.  AlphaSTAR engineers understand information is critical for build success.

(more…)

The State of the Software industry and the competitive advantage.  By David Selliman, Vice President of CoreTechnologie.

I recently attended CES in Las Vegas, known for the largest electronic show in the world with a full city of attendees with every device you can ever think of.   I thought I was going to see something so new and innovative, I would wonder, why I did not think of that?  Surely, it was more of the same.  I have to say the few products or inventions that stuck to my head with amazement was Bell and Uber partnership developing a taxi helicopter with embracing 2030 in 2020. Hyundai with its competitive helicopter taxi and android services solution to carry 50 plus pounds with a 50 pound android, servicing complex cities globally. The big hurdle to bring the flying products to market was one simple word – FAA.  Another product that caught my eye was the babysitting robot with all the knowledge in its memory banks is what makes IBM Watson look dump, and lastly the innovation of Samsung to create a booth that defines its eco system of technology that surpassed anything on the planet based on its core business.

(more…)

Software is playing an important role on the shop floor of manufacturers today, but it’s often focused on one task or a portion of the workflow. While there is benefit to that discrete function, the impact on the entire production line is not as significant as it can be. However, manufacturers who are recognized as the industry leaders are embracing an integrated approach – creating a digital thread that connects between the workflow portions and functions, results in efficiencies and cost savings by providing a complete set of data, elimination of repetitive tasks, and automation. These innovators are embracing advanced emerging technologies aligned with industry trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT) to improve productivity, lower Total Cost of Operation (TCO) and maintain competitive advantage.

(more…)