Economic Luncheon - The Future of 3D Printing

Join the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Economic Event Committee on April 20, 2015 from 11:30 – 1:00 pm in the Commonwealth Commerce Center Ballroom for a program on 3-D printing….What is it?  How is it being used?  What are the limits and possibilities? Watch as a 3-D item is printed before your eyes!

3-D printing combines CAD/CAM and devices that can very precisely deposit material on a model being printed, using techniques similar to those used in our ink-jet printers.  The "print head" of a 3-D printer is a miniature extruder similar to the ones that deposit inks on paper, but designed and built to handle various materials.  In the case of thermoplastic materials, the material is heated to the point at which it becomes "plastic" (fluid, but with various viscosities depending on the material), and is then forced out of the "print head" with enough pressure to carry it onto the building object being made, precisely targeted to provide a controlled and directed amassing of the material on the object being built. The print head is carried on a device analogous to a CNC router or machining center.
 
Materials are continually being developed that can be printed in this manner.  Even metals can be used to construct items, by using very fine powder, depositing it on the growing surface while being sintered, or melted, by a laser.  (Early systems were called Selective Laser Sintering.)
 
Recently, a demonstration was performed in which a cheeseburger was printed from organic materials.
 
We will be hearing from Dr. Gomez, Dean of Business and Technology and Dr. Sherwood, Adjunct Instructor both from Baker College and Scott Schwarz, Sr. Sales representative at FISHER/UNITECH.
 
CNN Explains 3D Printing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0rYO5YI7kA
 
Thank You To Our Supporters:
CP Federal Credit Union; Experience Jackson; Fifth Third Bank; Michigan Community Credit Union; Northwest Community Schools; OSB Community Bank; Rehmann; Spring Arbor University
 
Baker College; Comerica Bank; Commonwealth Associates, Inc.; Jackson College; Jackson Speedway; JTV; Manpower; Michigan International Speedway; Printer Source Plus; RjM; South Central Michigan Works!; Tom Schindler, Realtor; WKHM-AM/K-105.3/WIBM-AM. Click here to get a link to these websites: http://www.jacksonchamber.org/events/economic-club-luncheons/