From June 22 to June 26 at Chicago’s McCormick Place, the TC Conference & Expo will bring together an unparalleled array of technology and experts all dedicated to the proposition that in today’s market, there are the quick . . . and the dead. Co-located with NPE 2009: The International Plastics Showcase and the MoldMaking Expo, the inaugural TC Expo and Conference is an event where you’ll be able to see, hear, and learn about both emerging and established processes, hardware, materials, and tools in design, software, prototyping, tooling, and direct manufacturing.

In addition, the two-day conference kicks off Wednesday, June 24 with a keynote by Todd Grimm, president of T. A. Grimm & Associates Inc., who explores the next generation of technologies from additive fabrication to 3D imaging that will reduce time-to-market. Dr. Max Ruffo, with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Center at Boeing, wraps up the conference Thursday by outlining the main steps and barriers to implementing rapid manufacturing as experienced by the aerospace leader.

And beyond McCormick Place, there are opportunities to get a feel for additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping operations in action. Two innovative Chicago-area service providers, MET-L-FLO and GPI Prototype & Manufacturing Services Inc., will swing open their doors for guided plant tours on June 23.

Finally, for lean product development devotees, Gardner Publications, organizer of the event (and publisher of Time Compression) is partnering with The Management Roundtable (www.roundtable.com), the leading knowledge and networking resource for a one-day, intensive seminar on June 25. The topic is how to apply and sharpen lean product development practices to streamline processes, reduce product costs and create profitable customer satisfaction. Leading the seminar is Bart Huthwaite, Sr., the founder of the Institute for Lean Innovation and a pioneer in the business process known as "Systematic Corporate Innovation," a method for supplying managers with the knowledge to make corporate innovation understandable, repeatable and most importantly, measurable.

Below is a complete list of exhibitors and what they'll be showcasing at the expo.

3D Systems-Booth #W109016

3D Systems’ 3D part-building systems and engineered materials reduce the time and cost of designing products and facilitate direct digital manufacturing, helping customers decrease product development time.  Prototypes and end-use parts are built within hours directly from CAD files (.STL format) through an additive manufacturing process with their line 3D printers, stereolithography (SLA) and selective laser sintering (SLS) systems.  The company’s 3D modelers include the ProJet line and the V-Flash Desktop Modeler, among others.  It also supplies a variety of plastic 3D modeling materials through its VisiJet line.

3DSUG-Booth #W110022

3DSUG is a user group that encourages and coordinates the sharing of technical information between owners and operators of a variety of 3D Systems’ equipment.  The group meets annually and regularly presents papers on new technologies and best practices associated with 3D Systems equipment and the application of parts and tools made from them.  3DSUG members also identify issues that require basic modifications of hardware and software, and propose solutions or improvements, as well as recommend uniform practices and techniques.

American Precision Prototyping-Booth #W109021

American Precision Prototyping LLC provides high-quality, fast-turnaround, rapid prototyped and rapid manufactured parts.  Services include SLA, fused deposition modeling (FDM), cast urethane, molding architectural models, rapid metal castings, and precision computer numerical control (CNC) machining.  Customers may upload 3D STL CAD data to the company’s Web site and obtain a quote in seconds, or receive 24-hour turnaround on quotes for CNC, metal castings and injection molding.  APP does not outsource orders from its Web site, but owns the equipment used to manufacture parts, with regional project managers serving as the single point of contact from prototype to production.

Armstrong Mold-Booth #W110018

Armstrong Mold blends craftsmanship and technology in dozens of processes to deliver production-grade metal and plastic products in both prototype and low-volume production levels.  It uses 3D CAD solid modeling, rapid prototyping and video conferencing technologies to enable a variety of processing services, including rubber plaster molding, precision airset casting, CNC machining, reaction-injection molding, finishing, and assembly.  Armstrong serves a variety of industries, including telecommunications, automotive, aerospace/military, medical diagnostic and test equipment, business machines, power tools, and other consumer product makers.

AXIS Prototypes-Booth #W110019

Rapid prototyping service center AXIS Prototypes specializes in high-end rapid prototyping technologies, including SLA and SLS.  The company owns and operates 11 machines and uses over a dozen materials to make functional and realistic prototypes that closely mimic plastic injection materials.  The team includes master model makers and professional painters to create prototypes that are difficult to distinguish from the molded product.  AXIS will showcase items made with material from DSM Somos, including the ceramic-like resin Nanotool, applications for which include rapid tooling molding and prototype molding for vacuum forming.  

Capture 3D-Booth #W111023

Capture 3D provides optical, digital scanning capabilities that can be used in applications ranging from quality control to reverse engineering.  There’s the mobile ATOS 3D digitizer that uses two cameras to observe projected fringe patterns. The system calculates 3D coordinates for each camera pixel, generating a polygon mesh of an object’s surface.  As a result, for example, it can be determined whether the physical model deviates from the CAD model.  Then there’s the TRITOP, an optical coordinate measuring machine used to predefine the reference markers on large or complex objects to support high-accuracy digitizing using ATOS.  

DSM Somos-Booth #W120018

Global resin maker DSM Somos is exhibiting its 2009 ProtoGen Gray 18920, a new resin in the ProtoGen family of products that creates ABS-like, all-purpose parts tailored for service bureaus and other users.  ProtoGen resins are fast-processing materials designed for highly accurate parts.  High-dimensional stability and temperature resistance are two key features of the material, which helps prevent warping of fine details and thin walls during shipment or testing.  ProtoGen parts have a heat deflection temperature of 65°C with a UV-only post-treatment coating and >95°C with thermal post-treatment.  Because this material exhibits low differential shrink, parts will be more accurate and consistent in production.

Dimension 3D-Booth #W111016

The Dimension 3D Printing Group, a business unit of Stratasys Inc., displays the uPrint Personal 3D desktop printer, its newest and smallest model.  Priced at $14,900 and using Dimension’s fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology, the uPrint has a 25 x 26-in. footprint and includes an 8 x 6 x 6-in. build envelope. It requires a 4.5-ft2 desktop space and stands 2.5-ft high. The machine weighs 168 lb. and runs on 120-volt power.  The uPrint constructs models with Stratasys ABSplus, a material that is on average 40% stronger than the company’s standard ABS material.  

EOS-Booth #W107021

Laser-sinter systems EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems will demonstrate production parts from the FORMIGA P 100 for plastics. The FORMIGA P 100 is a compact laser-sintering machine with build envelope of 200 x 250 x 330 mm.  The machine produces plastic products from polyamide or polystyrene within a few hours, directly from CAD data, for economic production of custom products with complex geometry, such as for the medical device industry as well as for consumer goods.  The fine focus diameter enables builds of walls with as little as 0.4-mm thickness.  

The Ex One Company-Booth #W107016

The Ex One Company showcases its ProMetal system, which uses 3D printing techniques to rapidly manufacture complex metal parts and molds directly from CAD data.  Prototypes, as well as fully functional components, can be produced for a variety of applications including injection molds, forging and casting dies, legacy parts, and art pieces.  The ProMetal Rapid Casting Technology enables digital production of sand molds and cores, eliminating the need for hard tooling in the casting process and drastically reduces lead times.  

Exact Metrology-Booth #W109019

Full services measurement company Exact Metrology Inc. will showcase Breuckmann’s new smartSCAN 3D-HE White Light Scanner. Combining high performance and precise detail resolution with a broad choice of available measurement fields, the smartSCAN 3D-HE enables 3D product development and quality control.  Applications include inspection of sheet metal components for the automotive industry, mold making, tooling, and quality control in product design, as well as measuring and digitizing projects in reverse engineering.  The firm provides on-site inspection, reverse engineering, non-contact laser scanning, and 2D/3D digitizing services as well as contract programming, software training, part programming, and measurement equipment implementation.

GPI Prototype & Manufacturing Services Inc.-Booth #W108021

GPI Prototype & Manufacturing Services provides a range of client services including prototyping, RTV tooling and urethane casting, and low-volume manufacturing. The company provides traditional prototyping and rapid manufacturing services, with high-quality and cost competitive processes, including SLA with Objet PolyJet, SLS, 3D printing with ZCorp technology, direct metal laser sintering, room temperature vulcanization, urethane casting for prototypes and production, CNC machining (metal or plastic), metal casting (aluminum or zinc) metal stampings (annodized, heat treated) complete packaging solutions (protective, display, food, medical), reverse engineering, finishing & decorating, and U.S. and China contract manufacturing.

Heritage Plastics-Booth #W107022

Heritage Plastics Inc. makes compounded plastic materials designed to improve both the performance and productivity of several plastics applications.  The company mainly focuses on its proprietary Minapol Additive Technology, which enhances minerals in polyolefin polymers.  As the original developer of Minapol, the company provides customer service and technical support.  Heritage Plastics also has expertise in improving the performance of extrusion, extrusion coating, blow molding, thermoforming processes and injection molding materials.  Their additives are developed to increase throughput rates, cycle times, and product properties while reducing material costs.

Metalise it … America-Booth #W111019

The Metalise it…America process can plate on most rapid prototyping (RP) plastic parts with a specified layer thickness and metal finish.  The process, originally formulated specifically for RP models, also has shown results with vacuum casting parts and plastic injection molded models.  Plastic parts treated with the Metalise it…America process, in which composite metal material is applied to the plastic part, have increased structural coating as well as provide a cosmetic finish.  Advantages include resistance to moisture, temperature, humidity and corrosion.  National RP Support) has licensed the “Metalise it …” method from AT 3D- SQUARED.

Met-L-Flo-Booth #W109018

Met-L-Flo Inc. is a service provider specializing in direct and rapid manufacturing, as well as a variety of rapid prototyping services.  The company will display applications of direct and indirect manufactured products, including end-use products, tooling and manufacturing aids, and pattern-based secondary tooling solutions for low-volume and prototype applications.  Company specialties include SLA, cast urethanes, SLS, FDM, cast metals, and injection molding.

Objet-Booth #W108018

Objet displays its Connex500, the first 3D printing system that uses its PolyJet Matrix Technology to simultaneously jet multiple model materials.  The technology enables users to print parts and assemblies made of multiple materials with different mechanical or physical properties all in a single build.  The Connex500 also fabricates digital materials on the fly, creating composite materials that have preset combinations of mechanical properties.  The machine also enables versatile multi-material printing options, including mixed parts, which eliminate the need to design, print and glue together separate parts to make a complete model by printing with multiple materials in a single build.

PTI Engineered Plastics-Booth #W112022

PTI Engineered Plastics is both a specialist in product development, prototyping and low- and high-volume manufacturing.  The company’s proprietary P3 tool-construction concept reduces the lead-time of traditional methods of mold construction. These tools are traditionally used for functional prototypes, short-run injection molding, or bridge tooling, spanning from market entry to the permanent multiple-cavity tooling used for the duration of the project, designed to save customers’ weeks and thousands of dollars in program budgets.  PTI’s services and capabilities range from 12-ton to 500-ton injection-molding machines.  Additional services include rapid tooling and molding, short-run and low-volume production injection molding, value-added production molding, and micromolding.

The QC Group-Booth #W111018

The QC Group provides precision scanning, reverse engineering, and final part inspection. QC specializes in the reverse engineering of complex precision tooling and product geometries required to produce precision tooling.  The company can capture an artifact’s precise dimensional data—whether microscopic or large in size—and produce CAD models that are an accurate representation of the original.  QC services include first article, source and overload inspection, mold evaluation, portable coordinate measuring machine services, capability studies, laser scanning, and nationwide source inspection.  The company also has complex modeling capabilities, precision surfacing expertise and computer-aided verification capability.

Radco Industries-Booth #W111021

Radco Industries will present “Rapid Custom Coloration” with Aura infusion technology, developed and patented by Bayer MaterialScience LLC.  With infusion technology, any color and several polymer additives on post-formed engineering resins are possible.  This technology enables the shift toward make-to-demand production with unique colors.  Radco’s Infusion Technologies division has developed an integrated benchtop rapid prototype system, or RPS4, which has a 4-liter capacity and a satellite solvent recovery skid.  Radco will set up a unit to demonstrate technology’s range of colors and effects.  

Romer Inc.-Booth #W112021

Romer Inc. a Hexagon Metrology company, showcases its portable CMM, the ROMER MultiGage.  Designed exclusively for machine shops, the 6-axis MultiGage is a precision coordinate measuring machine with a 1.2-m measuring volume and is used for 3D dimensional control of molds, parts, tooling, and castings.  Its quick-mount system allows the CMM to be setup for on-demand measurement and inspection of parts or assemblies on machine tools or anywhere on the shop floor.  With the MultiGage, a machine shop can streamline their measurement process and replace a variety of handheld tools in the inspection room or out in the shop.  

Seaway Plastics Engineering-Booth #W107019

Seaway Plastics Engineering Inc. specializes in quick turnaround, low volume production and prototype injection molding. Typical production quantity requirements range from 100 to 10,000 parts per year with an average tool build and sampling window ranging from five days to four weeks. During 2008, the company completed over 200 new molds with half built from aluminum, and the other half either all steel or a combination of steel and aluminum molds.  The company also has experience with over molding and insert molding applications, and has in-house FDM rapid prototyping capabilities.

Stratasys-Booth #W112016

Stratasys shows its premium brand Fortus 400mc direct digital manufacturing and prototyping system, which has been upgraded with several improvements sought out by manufacturers, including improved part quality, better accuracy, and repeatability and material properties.  Enhancements in design and manufacturing of the extrusion head gantry makes it straighter and stiffer, and holds the extrusion head to a tighter positional accuracy higher-tolerance parts.  The Fortus 400mc includes a new material, the ABS-M30, which is 67% stronger than standard Stratasys ABS and has additional benefits of higher tensile strength, impact strength and flexural strength.  Standard build-envelope size is 14 x 10 x 10 in. optional build-envelope size is 16 x 14 x 16 in.

Xcentric Mold & Engineering-Booth #W110021

Xcentric Mold & Engineering Inc. has been producing high-quality plastic injection molded parts since 1996.  The firm is stocked completely electric molding machines, which use 80% less energy and are more efficient than hydraulic machines and produce cleaner parts.  The turnaround time for a complete part is on average, less than 20 days, providing services from design to prototyping of detailed parts.  The company analyzes CAD drawings, and using Moldflow Analysis, simulates the design and predicts manufacturing defects. Xcentric’s rapid prototyping services, which include FDM, SLA and SLS, providing functioning parts within in one to three days.