First-of -their-kind technologies unveiled at SME’s 2014 Advanced Manufacturing Expo

It gets underway at the Toronto International Centre September 23-24.

AMExpo, which features RAPID Canada Conference & Exposition and Medical Manufacturing Innovations, will showcase revolutionary 3D printing, additive and medical manufacturing technologies and applications – some being introduced in Canada for the first time.

Presented as part of an interactive resource centre called The Innovation Tech Zone, some the technologies include:

·         Bioprinting presented by the University of Toronto – A demonstration of the process that allows scientists and medical researchers to use living cells to build an organ, layer by layer, by means of 3D scanners and printers.

·         3D Prosthetic Project from the University of Toronto –  An easy-to-use 3D scanning and printing technology capable of generating prosthetic limbs close to what a skilled technician could make by hand.

·         Hollywood’s Legacy Effects – A display of 3D-printed busts from the movies “Avatar” and “RoboCop.”

·         Oculus Rift by SE3D – A high-end virtual reality experience revolutionizing the way people experience video games, including a virtual reality headset for 3D gaming.

·         MakerBot Interactive – Unique hands-on demonstrations of prosumer (a cross between professional and consumer)  printing.

·         Ontario Centre of Excellence “Discovery Zone” – A playground where technologies will be demonstrated showing the advancement of manufacturing via 3D printing, prototyping and advanced manufacturing in Ontario.

·         Personal Illusions – A demonstration of the future of jewellery creation: 3D-printed jewellery.

Jason Lopes, Hollywood’s Legacy Effects Lead Systems Engineer, will be the keynote speaker on opening day, September 23, and will discuss how 3D scanning and 3D printing have enabled the creation of some of Hollywood’s most amazing special effects, including work on the movies Iron Man 3, RoboCop (2014), The Bourne Legacy, Pacific Rim, and the Hunger Games. Legacy Effects has transformed the special effects department from a post-production component of filmmaking to  one that is central to the filmmaking process.

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), will be the keynote speaker on day two of the event, September 24, providing a look into the future of Ontario’s Advanced Manufacturing industry .

The AMExpo exhibit floor opens on September 23 at 10:00 a.m. and concludes September 24 at 4:00 p.m. Exhibitor and general attendance registration is now open.

About SME

SME connects all those who are passionate about making things that improve our world. As a nonprofit organization, SME has served practitioners, companies, educators, government and communities across the manufacturing spectrum for more than 80 years. Through its strategic areas of events, media, membership, training and development, and the SME Education Foundation, SME is dedicated to advancing manufacturing by addressing both knowledge and skill needs for the industry.