Collaboration is the word of the day as CAMX gets underway here in Dallas. Starting off the day on a high note, IACMI partner BAAM CI (Big Area Additive Manufacturing-Cincinnati Incorporated) won the coveted 2015 CAMX Combined Strength Award, which recognizes cutting edge innovation through collaboration. The award was presented for their ground breaking 3D printing technology that allows the creation of 3D large-scale products in a matter of hours. The display of the 3D printed 50th Anniversary Shelby Cobra on the showroom floor was all the buzz throughout the day.

A major presence at the show is the Closed Mold Alliance, comprised of industry experts Composites One, Magnum Venus Products, and RTM North Technologies. The Closed Mold Alliance conducted demonstrations throughout the day where attendees were able to experience first hand the real-time manufacturing process of various closed mold systems. The demos are part of Composite One’s Lean Mean Process Machine…Redux, an annual event designed to make composites manufacturers aware of manufacturing processes and technologies than can help them produce better parts. Conference attendees have been especially captivated with the real-time skateboard and long board production using reusable bag molding and vacuum infusion.

Staying with the theme of collaboration, Mike Molnar’s presentation on the National Network of Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) focused on enabling the manufacturing renaissance by filling the “missing-middle” of advanced manufacturing. By defining and breaking down the key components of an institute, he addressed market failures of insufficient industry research and development. Greater success through NNMI partnerships will accelerate everything from discovery to application to production, establishing a presence in the “missing-middle” of advanced manufacturing.

In addition to collaboration, another underlying theme of the day was clean energy. A packed room listened to Kelly Visconti, IACMI Technical Manager from the Department of Energy, as she presented innovative techniques achieving clean energy goals through the use of lightweight composites in the manufacturing of cars.


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