Laying It On Thick With 3-D

Printing in 3-D is the hottest trend in manufacturing, and the Valley will get a solid glimpse of it this month at the first-ever such local trade show. Thirty-six exhibitors, including printer manufacturers, will attend the 3D Printer World Expo show Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. at the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel & Convention Center. Printing in 3-D starts with a computer that creates a three-dimensional digital file of an object. A special printer then makes the object layer by layer using a plastic polyvinyl chloride material. It is still a niche market within the manufacturing and entertainment industries but mainstream acceptance is growing, said Joe Micallef, the education director for the expo. “There are a lot of people waking up to it and to the huge wow factor in the full potential of what is happening,” Micallef said. In addition to company exhibits, special pavilions will showcase 3-D printing in the medical profession and for building large structures. Fine art, jewelry and character sculptures will also be on display. In addition to multiple seminars, the lineup of industry professionals speaking include Edward Quintero, a 3-D artist at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. in Glendale; Joaquin Baldwin, a 3-D print artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank; and professionals from Legacy Effects, a traditional special effects house in San Fernando. The expo is hosted by online publication 3D Printer World and produced by Punchbowl Media Inc. of Hayden, Idaho. It is the second such expo by Punchbowl and the first in Southern California. The expo will run 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 31 and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 1. Expo passes are $35, one-day seminar/expo passes are $250, and two-day seminar/expo passes are $475. – Mark R. Madler