3D printing is the star for a day

3D printing is the star for a day at Mohawk College’s Stoney Creek Campus

By: Keegan Kozolanka

The 3D Printing in Action Conference – hosted by IDEAWORKS’ Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre – brought together innovators from an emerging industry for discussion and networking.

“It’s an opportunity for our students and industry partners to get together to discuss new trends in the 3D printing world,” said Jeff McIsaac, General Manager of the Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre.

The event kicked off with a stirring keynote speech from Mark Majewski, business development manager and passionate innovator from the Ontario Centres of Excellence.

“My job here is to inspire you and possibly scare you,” Majewski said in his opening. “If you aren’t innovating […] you are a follower. If you are a follower, you become a utility.”

During his keynote speech, Majewski stressed the importance of constant innovation and growth in business and technology, including 3D printing’s role.

The Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre’s student researchers and employees hosted sessions explaining the different types of 3D printing and an overview of 3D printing itself.

“If you haven’t started 3D printing yet, you should go home and get into it,” said Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre employee Alex Goerner after his introduction to 3D printing session. “It’s an amazing field and extremely interesting.”

Goerner is one of the newer Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre employees but his passion is contagious. Passion and knowledge was a common theme in each session.

Advanced sessions for the more experienced were held concurrently. Some of these were hosted by Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre alumni who have been hired by industry partners.

McIsaac said he was very proud of his students’ sessions at the college and how comfortable they were in sharing what they know.

“I think that shows the depth of the expertise we’ve built at Mohawk,” McIsaac said. “It also shows the caliber of the students we have working with us.”

After the sessions, attendees could browse the exhibitors’ tables. Exhibitors were displaying their work with example pieces. Objex Unlimited, a 3D printing and scanning company from Toronto, even had a printer running at their table.

McIssac said the audience and exhibitor turn out exceeded his expectations and was pleased with the discussions started at the conference.

“I think today was a great success,” McIssac said.