SME’s Silicon Valley Chapter to Present Conference

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - April 3, 2014 - PRLog -- The SME’s Silicon Valley Chapter will present a one-day conference, “3D Printing and Robotics – Design and Make the Future” on Thursday, May 22, 2014 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, Calif. The event will be held in conjunction with the Northern California Design-2-Part Show being held on May 21-22, also at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

Attend the 3D Printing and Robotics conference to learn more about where, when, and how to use the hot new trend of 3D printing in your own business, and understand the resources available to you. You'll also hear from industry professionals and executives on the topic of robotics trends and opportunities, as its applications spread into homes, hospitals, surgeries, laboratories, packaging, and dangerous missions.

The program is packed with over 20 high-level speakers and resources from industry and workforce development programs including serial entrepreneurs, company founders, manufacturers, and design firms.

The conference is ideal for product development engineers, “makers”, designers, manufacturing professionals, technologists, manufacturing engineers and managers, students and professionals interested in advancing their knowledge in design, prototyping, making, 3D printing, additive manufacturing, robotics, and networking.

Gain new ideas, meet people who share your interests, and learn how the Bay Area continues to innovate and respond to global competition in the following areas:

3D Printing Revolution - Trends and Advancements

How 3D Printing is Transforming and Accelerating the New Product Development Cycle

Robotics: From the Basics and Trends to Delivering Success

An Introduction of a New Robot

3D Printing and Robotics Demonstrations

Robotics Transform the Future

The conference includes a tour break to the Design-2-Part Show where you will gain connections with vendors that will aid you in your product development and manufacturing projects. The co-located Northern California Design-2-Part Show is the largest show in the region to focus exclusively on contract manufacturing services. The 2014 show will feature nearly 225 of the finest American contract manufacturing companies exhibiting design-through-manufacturing services covering more than 300 product categories.

Program Highlights

Morning Session - 3D Printing Revolution

JoAnne Moody - 2014 Event Director, SME Silicon Valley Chapter 98

Bill Browne - Master of Ceremonies, MANEX Consulting

Additive Manufacturing — Opportunities and Challenges

Mike Prokosch - Manufacturing Engineering Section Leader, Lawrence Livermore National Lab

Introduction to California Network for Manufacturing Innovation

Bill Browne - Director of Economic and Workforce Development, MANEX Consulting

Latest Design and Simulation Software Approaches

Damon Tordini - Simulation Application Specialist, Hawk Ridge Systems

Chris Ma - Simulation Engineer, Hawk Ridge Systems

3D Printing Transforms the Product Development Cycle - Panel Discussion

Rich Stump - Principal, Fathom - Panel Leader

Sean Finn - Principal, F3 & Associates, Inc.

Eric Appelblom - Owner, Precision Plastics

Mark Brinkerhoff - President, Fusion Design, Inc.

Lunch Break: Design-2-Part Tour, 3D Printing and Robotics Demonstrations

Afternoon Session - Robotics Transform the Future

Larry S. Lewis - President, Phoenix Automation

Brand New Robotics

James Farmer - Regional Manager, Fanuc Robotics

Robotics Trends - A Panel discussion

Larry S. Lewis - President, Phoenix Automation - Panel Leader

James Farmer - Regional Manager, Fanuc Robotics

Jesse Hayes - Product Manager, Schunk/Ingo Rupport

Glen Langstaff - COO & VP Operations, RAM Mechanical

Steve Stinson - Regional Manager, Data Logic

The conference is open to SME members and non-members. For more information, or to register to attend, please visit http://i.sme.org/smesiliconvalley/conference.

For more information about the Northern California Design-2-Part Show, or to register for free show admission, visit http://www.D2P.com.

About SME

SME (http://www.sme.org/) connects all those who are passionate about making things that improve our world. As a nonprofit organization, SME has served practitioners, companies, educators, government and communities across the manufacturing spectrum for more than 80 years. Through its strategic areas of events, media, membership, training and development, and the SME Education Foundation, SME is uniquely dedicated to advancing manufacturing by addressing both knowledge and skill needs for industry. At SME, we are making the future. Together.

This event is sponsored by Silicon Valley Chapter #098 http://i.sme.org/smesiliconvalley/Home/ and proceeds from this conference will go toward other educational activities which the Chapter hosts locally throughout the year.

This conference is held with collaboration from the SME North Bay and SME Sacramento chapters.  Other local organizations that support SME include SJSU BMES, IEEE-CPMT, ASME-SCVS, ASQ Northern CA Biomedical Division, SWE-SCV, San Jose State University, and DeAnza College. For more information or if you have registration issues, please contact the Conference Co-Chairs, Joanne Moody or Cynthia Cook at sme098@gmail.com.