3D Printing has continually been discussed as revolutionizing the way products are manufactured, but it is often reduced back to prototyping. While niche applications (primarily in Aerospace and Medical) have carved out a small piece of 3D production there have been too many technical constraints to truly start the next industrial revolution.

The HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) printer has overcome many of the technical constraints with a focus on production, not prototyping. The technology is ready for manufacturing and the business-cases exist to economically adopt 3D Printing into production. Understanding how the MJF technology intersects with engineering, R&D, supply chain and production are essential to advance into Additive Manufacturing.

By going beyond use-cases we will explore how business-cases are driving the decision to manufacture with the MJF technology when processes such as Injection Molding would have been the solution. While it is exciting to see the impact of MJF it is equally important to understand its limitations. Identifying the correct applications will drive the success of additive manufacturing adoption.

Ken Burns is a Technical Sales Director who partners with customers from all industries to bring their products from 2D to 3D. After spending nearly a decade working in Additive Manufacturing for multimillion dollar brands and startups, Ken knows what truly drives the successful integration of 3D Printing into the product development lifecycle, and beyond—and it's not about chasing the latest 3D Printing buzz. It's about turning use-cases into business-cases and successfully communicating that message.

Ken has first-hand experience with SLA, FDM, PolyJet, MJF, SLS, DMLS and Projet at two different service providers. He worked as a Materials Business Manager for Stratasys which provided him with insights as both a customer and OEM.

Ken holds a BS in Psychology and Political Science from Pepperdine University.

Back in the summer of 1994, brothers Corey & Donovan Weber started crafting prototypes of what became our proprietary vacuum mixing chamber for the ProCAST process in their one car garage. Brought up by their grandfather Bud, a Detroit machinist, they set about creating an Additive Manufacturing focused model shop at a time when only SLA technology was commercially available. Staying focused on the burgeoning 3D printing space, while always making sure that product output was high quality and delivered on time, the Weber brothers succeeded in growing Forecast 3D. We began offering SLS & CNC in 1998, become one of the 1st DMLS service providers in 2007, added FDM and PolyJET in 2010, and became the official West Coast Experience Center for MJF by HP in June of 2017.

As one of the oldest and largest privately held facilities of its kind in the U.S., our focus remains on craftsmanship, our company culture and the customer experience. Today we have 49,000 square feet of manufacturing space, 100 employees, and over 30 pieces of Additive & Subtractive Manufacturing equipment here to serve you. We appreciate your interest and are looking forward to working together.