3D Printing’s Game-Changing Tech Featured at Innovation Gallery
The breakthrough technology of 3D printing continues to advance beyond its prototyping origins, emerging at the industrial-grade level as a production method alongside injection molding, machining, and other traditional manufacturing processes.
Additive manufacturing’s newest innovations are currently being showcased in Burlington, North Carolina at the Glen Raven Concept Gallery, which regularly creates exhibitions that highlight trends, materials, and new technology.
As a segment of the exhibit, the gallery sought out Protolabs to provide sample printed parts to help explain various industrial-grade 3D printing processes and materials, which are deployed by Protolabs’ customers in a variety of industries.
“Additive Manufacturing: Innovations in 3D Printing,” will be on display through April 30.
The Concept Gallery’s mission is “discovery, inspiration, and creation. In this spirit, the gallery sponsors exhibits and speakers to inspire new ways of thinking.”
The gallery is a part of the Glen Raven Corporation, a global fabric manufacturing and marketing company that works in a variety of industries such as automotive, marine, distribution, furniture, and military segments, and is headquartered in Burlington.
Beyond the Concept Gallery in Burlington, the exhibit will tour additional Glen Raven venues located in Anderson, South Carolina; Miami, Florida; Lille, France; and Suzhou, China.
The goal of the exhibit is to highlight the innovation and value of 3D printing, from prototyping to mass production capabilities; spotlight the variety of sizes of 3D printers, from small desktop units to industrial-grade systems; and engage attendees on how this technology might affect Glen Raven and its trade partners and customers.
Our parts showcased in the exhibit feature the five industrial-grade 3D printing processes that we offer: direct metal laser sintering, stereolithography, PolyJet, Multi Jet Fusion, and selective laser sintering.
“The exhibit is an excellent way for us to connect with our neighbors,” said Rachel Hunt, Protolabs’ 3D Printing Marketing Manager. Protolabs’ 77,000 sq.-ft. 3D printing facility is located near Raleigh, which is one hour southeast of Burlington. “We’re at the forefront of the 3D printing space, and we’re proud to be part of the gallery to showcase what’s possible with production-grade 3D printing.”