3D printers that prototype machinery components, print out parts, even use wood product-based "ink" to make consumer goods, were presented at the wood machinery conference - See more at: http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/search?keyword=3D&y=0&x=0&page=2#stha…

ATLANTA - Wood industry applications for digital printing and manufacturing technologies - including inkjet and 3D printing - will be presented in four sessions at the International Woodworking Fair 2014.

The largest trade for the secondary wood manufacturing industries, IWF 2014 runs August 20-23 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

IWF 2014 will include three presentations by Infotrends - "Inkjet and Your Business - Primer for Your Inkjet Printing" and  "Digitally Produced Surfaces: Real Life Examples," both on Wednesday, August 20; and "3D Printing: Is It for Me" on Thursday, August 21. 3D printers are being used by wood industry manufacturers to prototype machinery components, print out parts, or, using wood product-based "ink," to make consumer goods.

Inkjet printing and other forms of digital printing are being used to decorate panel for cabinetry, store fixtures and point of purchase displays produced by wood manufacturing companies. It is also being used to produced custom and short-run decor papers for laminate panels, and to decorate edgebanding. 

A fourth session on digital manufacturing technology for wood production, "3D Printing and the Return of the Cottage Industry," will be presented by Ralph Bagnal of ConsultingWoodworker.com on Friday, August 22, from 12:30 to 2:00 pm.

Inkjet and your Business - Primer for your inkjet Printing-NBS3  8/20/2014 9:00am - 10:30 am Presented by InfoTrends Inkjet printing is the core digital print technology that enables digital decoration of varied range of surfaces. With the advances in materials science and digital processing, inkjet is now emerging as a source of solutions that increase productivity and creativity in industrial applications such as flooring, laminating, and wall decoration, just to name a few. The sessions will cover: The fundamentals of inkjet printing •The capabilities and limits of inkjet •What to consider when looking at inkjet solutions • Pre treatment •Printing •Finishing •Environmental impact •Some of the technologies that are available in the market today.

Digitally produced surfaces – Real life examples: A Vendor Panel-NBS4 8/20/2014 3:00pm - 4:30 pm Presented by InfoTrends Digital printing is becoming available for many décor surfaces such as flooring, laminates, glass, and wall coverings just to name a few. Enabled by a new gen- eration of inkjet printing heads and by innovative integrators, new opportunities are now becoming commercially viable for the wood working industry for décor applications, from one of-a-kind pieces to high volume production. In this sessi- on you will hear from vendors and producers about their successes in impleme- nting their digital print solutions in the marketplace regarding: •Specific wood- based print applications •Lessons learned from actual print jobs •Keys for success in future implementations•Future direction of digital decoration.

Is 3D for Me? 3D Technology & Applications Primer-NBS5 8/21/2014 9:00am - 10:30 am Presented by InfoTrends There has been a lot of hype around 3D printing—not a day passes without the emergence of new companies and solutions offering additive manufacturing. While, 3D printing has been around since the mid 1980’s,and only slowly made its way  to various environments, its impact today is dramatic, due to it shortening production time, creating one-of-a-kind products, enabling new tooling methods, and enabling a new generation of creative entrepreneurs to flourish. In this sess- ion we will •Review the different 3D additive manufacturing technologies •Review key applications •Discuss key production cycle elements

3D Printing and the Return of Cottage Industry-NBS1 12:30 - 2:00pm, Presented by Ralph Bagnall, www.consultingwoodworker.com For about the cost of a good mid-sized sedan, a workshop can be outfitted with all the equipment Needed to make more than half the items in your home. Reasonably priced CNC mills, Plasma cutters Laser engravers and 3D printers are making it more possible and economical than ever to buy what you need made locally by someone you know. This seminar will introduce attendees to the ideas and concepts of "Additive Manufacturing", "Distributive Manufacturing" and the return of locally made products. These ideas are poised to change nearly everything we know about building and distributing products, so learning about them now will help prevent surprises in the future.

Find out more about IWF 2014 at Woodworkingetwork.com/IWF