Articles and Other Publications

Articles: 2013

3-D 'printing' is Eden Prairie firm's next big thing, MPR News, April 11, 2013

Why 3-D Printing Won’t Turn Your Home Into a Factory, WIRED, March 21, 2013

3D Printing Could Grow to Over $3.7 Billion by 2015, The Fiscal Times, March 6, 2013

Australian Additive Manufacturing Technology and Cooperative Research Roadmap, Advanced Manufacturing CRC, February 28, 2013

3D Printing's Intersection of Promise and Reality: An Interview with Terry Wohlers, Seeking Alpha, February 26, 2013

The 3-D Printing Revolution, ScienceNews, February 20, 2013

3D Printing: Everything You Need to Know, Inc., February 15, 2013

  
Articles: 2012

Make Digital Designs Physical: The industry is using AM technology to optimize material use and product weight, and to manufacture complex parts, Desktop Engineering, December 1, 2012

Why 3-D Printing Matters for "Made in U.S.A." Scientific American, December 6, 2012

3-D printing a boon to entrepreneurs, San Francisco Chronicle, November 25, 2012

A Conversation with Terry Wohlers, RapidReady by Desktop Engineering, November 1, 2012

Advances in metals for 3D printing dwarf plastics, Graphic Speak, October 26, 2012

Personal 3-D Printer Sales Jump 35,000% Since 2007, Bloomberg, October 24, 2012

Michael Idelchik: How The U.S. Can Lead The Next Manufacturing Revolution, Ideas Lab, October 16, 2012

HP's profitable printers to buy Whitman time, Chicago Tribune, October 3, 2012

Sintering Your Way To Dental Implants And Hip Replacements, Forbes, September 27, 2012

How 3D Printing Could Save HP, The Street, September 27, 2012

Annual International Wohlers Conference to be Held at EuroMold 2012, Desktop Engineering, September 26, 2012

Formlabs may reshape things with low-cost 3-D printer, The Boston Globe, September 23, 2012

Additive Manufacturing Puts Its Clean-Tech Face Forward in Federally Funded Development Program, ThomasNet.com News, Thomas Publishing Company, August 30, 2012

Opinions and More (Interview with Terry Wohlers), Modern Machine Tools, August 2012

3D Printers Graduate From Prototypes to End Products, Investor's Business Daily, July 20, 2012

Next 3-D Frontier: Printed Plane Parts, The Wall Street Journal, July 13, 2012

3-D printing could remake U.S. manufacturing, USA Today, July 11, 2012

3-D print advances may create more jobs, Chicago Tribune, May 5, 2012

Additive Manufacturing Will Change in the Next 5-10 Years, Forbes, May 2, 2012

3D Printers: Make Whatever You Want, Bloomberg Businessweek, April 26, 2012

Additive manufacturing: Solid print, The Economist, April 21, 2012

Additive Manufacturing Advances, Manufacturing Engineering, April 2012

Additive Manufacturing in the United States, TCT, April 2012

The Aircraft Imperative, Modern Machine Shop, April 16, 2012

3D Printing Industry Will Reach $3.1 Billion Worldwide by 2016, Forbes, March 27, 2012

Still Rapid, but Much More than Prototyping, Foundry Management & Technology, March 16, 2012

More design hobbyists, entrepreneurs use 3-D printing, USA Today, February 21, 2012

3D Printer Makers Aim at Home Market, Bloomberg Businessweek January 9, 2012

3D Printing Coming to the Manufacturing Space—and Outer Space, Bloomberg Businessweek, January 9, 2012

Articles: 2011

3D printing: A technology awaits its iPad moment, Computerworld, December 21, 2011

3D printers: Almost mainstream, Computerworld, December 21, 2011

Additive Techniques Come to Low-Volume Manufacturing, Design News, December 14, 2011

The shape of things to come, The Economist, December 10, 2011

Manufacturing the Future of 3D Printing, Forbes/Wolfe Emerging Tech Report, Forbes, Inc., November 2011

Wohlers Sees Strong Growth Possibilities for Additive Manufacturing, Design-2-Part Magazine, November 2011

Additive Manufacturing Event Roundup, Desktop Engineering, October 14, 2011 

Origo: A 3D Printer For Kids, The Washington Post, September 20, 2011

How 3D Printing Will Change Absolutely Everything It Touches, Forbes, August 17, 2011

3D printing: The world's first printed plane, New Scientist, July 29, 2011

Manufacturing, 3D Printing and What China Knows About the Emerging American Century, Forbes, July 5, 2011

3D printing provides a vision of manufacturing's future, Pioneer Press, June 12, 2011

3-D printers will be your next home accessory, CNNMoney, June 6, 2011

Turning Ideas into Reality, Mail & Guardian Online, May 27, 2011

Rapid prototyping evolves: Welcome AM, Plastics News, March 29, 2011

3D Printing: The Printed World, The Economist, February 10, 2011

Articles: 2010

Manufacturing the dream: Game changing new production, BBC News, December 6, 2010

It Will Be Awesome if They Don't Screw it Up: 3D Printing, Intellectual Property, and the Fight Over the Next Great Disruptive Technology, Public Knowledge, November 10, 2010

Billions of Pieces, Billions of Questions, R&D magazine, October 2010

Shapeways Scores $5m From Union Square Ventures, Aims to Be “the Kinko’s of 3-D Printing," Fast Company, September 23, 2010

New ground in laser additive manufacturing, OptoIQ, July 27, 2010

Production technology a game changer, BRW, July 1, 2010

These 'printers' make 3-D stuff, Los Angeles Times, May 29, 2010

Geeks on a Train, The New York Times, April 10, 2010

Additive manufacturing a new frontier for composites, Composites Technology, April 2010

SME unveils annual 'Innovations That Could Change the Way You Manufacture' list, Nanowerk, March 10, 2010

There's a new Red Scare. But is China really so scary?, The Washington Post, February 28, 2010

The Melonia Shoe: A world's first? Wearable 3D printed footwear, Core77, February 21, 2010

Making a bit of me A machine that prints organs is coming to market, The Economist, February 18, 2010

Invetech Delivers Organovo’s First Commercial 3D Bio-Printer for Manufacturing Human Tissue and Organs, BNET, December 1, 2009

The Replicator, No Longer a Star Trek Dream, The Tyee, January 2010

Additive manufacturing gets standardized, Plastics Today, January 15, 2010

Digital Gastronomy - could 3D printing be the next revolution in cooking?, Cornucopia, January 2010

50 forecasts for 2010, Troy Media, January 5, 2010

Articles: 2009

50 Things That Will Change Your World in 2010, CNBC Business, December 2009.

Producing Blood Vessels Using 3-D Printer Technology, Medical Device Link, December 28, 2009.

ASTM Additive Manufacturing Committee Approves Terminology Standard, ASTM International, December 2009.

Cheap Rubbish From China Is A Myth, Product Design & Development, December 11, 2009.

Technology Is Stranger Than Fiction, The Wall Street Journal, November 22, 2009.

Is Xerox’s Silver Ink Ready to Print Circuits?, RobotShop.com, October 30, 2009.

Thogus rapidly re-engineers itself, Plastics News, October 19, 2009.

A factory on your desk, Economist.com, September 3, 2009.

R.I.P. High Tech Facial Reconstruction Technology is Put to Use in Personal Replica Urns, a One-of-a-Kind Memorial, PRWeb, July 28, 2009.

SME Program Mentors Future Engineers, Quality Digest, July 6, 2009.

Researchers to Build “Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing” Machine, American Machinist, July 8, 2009.

Stunning new technology allows parents to hold a life-size model of their unborn child, MailOnline, June 26, 2009.

Rapid-Prototyping Gets Serious: Fabricates Entire Building, Fast Company, June 23, 2009.

Manufacturing innovations, Control Engineering, June 19, 2009.

Jay Leno’s 3D Printer Replaces Rusty Old Parts, Popular Mechanics, July 2009.

3D Printer Benchmarking with Action Figures, Replicator, May 2009.

3-D printing hits rock-bottom prices with homemade ceramics mix, March 31, 2009.

Innovations That Could Change the Way You Manufacture, Manufacturing Engineering, March 2009.

UHF carbon nanotube transistors printed using aerosol jet, Electonics News, March 16, 2009.

Shapeways Now Lets You Create Cool Light Sculptures with Just a Photo, Wired Blog Network, March 9, 2009.

Additive Manufacturing — New Capabilities for Rapid Prototypes And Production Parts, Plastics Technology, March 2009.

Tapping Schools, Product Design & Development, March 2009.

Designs on the future of manufacturing, European Plastics News, February 27, 2009.

Beyond Plastics: The Latest in RP&M Material Options, DE Online, February 2, 2009.

What Is This Called Again?, Fabbaloo, January 23, 2009.

Taiwan Researchers Develop 3D Printer Prototype, Cadalyst, January 8, 2009.

Make Your Web Creature to Life, Castro Valley Forum, January 6, 2009.

Articles: 2008

Prototyping and Manufacturing by Additive Fabrication, Composites World, October 2008.

Prototyping Power, Product Design & Development, October 2008.

Printing in 3D Gets Practical, BusinessWeek, October 6, 2008.

Figure friendly, The Boston Globe, September 7, 2008.

Caterpillar, Inc. funds USC 'print-a-house' construction technology, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, August 28, 2008.

How To Make Anything, Forbes.com, August 28, 2008.

Rock Band 2 Avatars To Be Printed in 3D, Wired Blog Network, August 25, 2008.

Loughborough University Shielding sportsmen and women from impact and injury, Loughborough News, July 16, 2008.

Direct Digital Manufacturing Aids Assembly Operations, Design News, June 25, 2008

Fabbing Industrialist Predicts Fabbing Cottage-Industry, Wired Blog Network, June 18, 2008.

Das ist kein Gimmick (in German), Technology Review, June 10, 2008.

Fab It Now, Machine Design, May 16, 2008.

Design Focus: Time is money, so prototype for profit, Modern Plastics, May 1, 2008.

Tech Watch: 3-D printer market poised for big growth, IT Channel, May 1, 2008.

3D printing takes a step forward, Eureka, May 6, 2008.

The Art of 3D Printing, Design News, April 28, 2008.

A rapid revolution, Financial Times, April 25, 2008.

3-D printing: The next big thing?, Computerworld, March 12, 2008.

Innovations That Could Change the Way You Manufacture, Manufacturing Engineering, March 2008.

A whole new dimension to printing, The Globe and Mail, February 28, 2008.

Articles: 2006-2007

Build a Polar 3-D Printer from Legos, Instructables, December 29, 2007.

Trends 2008: Will 3D-Printing Finally Go Mainstream?, CNET.com, December 17, 2007.

How 3-D Printing Figures Turns Web Worlds Real, Wall Street Journal, December 12, 2007.

3-D Home Printers Could Change Economy, LiveScience, October 10, 2007.

US firm brings 3D printing to the deskop with low-priced kit, printweek.com, September 21, 2007.

Rapid processes gaining ground, Modern Plastics Worldwide, August 1, 2007.

Rapid Manufacturing's Role in the Factory of the Future, Design News, July 27, 2007.

What Engineers Should Know about Direct Digital Manufacturing, Design News, July 26, 2007.

Rapid Prototyping? Just Call it '3D Printing,' Design News, July 16, 2007.

Mechatronics Fuels Revolution in 3D Printing, Design News, June 28, 2007.

Local inventor, entrepreneur played early role in developing 3D printing, The Greenville News, May 30, 2007.

Giant Machine Designed to Print Houses, Discovery News, April 3, 2007.

Free-Form Sculpting, Desktop Engineering, November 2006.

Your Next House May Come From A Printer, InformationWeek, December 1, 2006.

3D Printers Reshape the World of Copying, Wall Street Journal, August 3, 2006.

A plane you can print, NewScientistTech, July 21, 2006.

Printable Robots, OhmyNews, June 21, 2006.

Additive Fabrication Facilitates Successful Injection Mold Design and Build, MoldMaking Technology, March 2006.

Productive Nanosystems (From molecules to superproducts), 5-minute video, March 14, 2006.

Additive Fabrication Technology, MoldMaking Technology, January 2006.

Articles: 2001-2005

Downhill ride: Protomold picks up speed by knowing when to say 'no', Upsizemag.com, December 2005.

Organ Repair, ScienCentralNews, November 10, 2005.

Quick off the mark, Engineering, July/August 2005.

Rapid prototyping grows despite less government funding, Plastics News China eWeekly, July 13, 2005.

Why Western design firms have trouble in mainland China, Plastics News China eWeekly, July 5, 2005. 

Make It Quick, Scientific American, July 2005.

If You Can Draw It, They Can Make It, BusinessWeek, May 23, 2005.

Fortune Cookie, Managing Automation, May 13, 2005.

Model medicine, The Salt Lake Tribune, April 24, 2005.

3D printer to churn out copies of itself, NewScientist.com, March 18, 2005.

Time for RP Standards, Desktop Engineering, March 2005

Mummy receives high-tech face-lift, Rocky Mountain News, March 9, 2005.

3-D printers give picture of future for consumers, Chicago Tribune, February 12, 2005.

High-tech glue gun helps engineers make chips, New York Times News Service, September 23, 2004.

3-D scan reconstructs face of a mummy, MSNBC News, September 1, 2004.

Facial Reconstruction of a Wrapped Egyptian Mummy Using MDCT, American Journal of Roentgenology, September 2004.

Using his Bobblehead, The Mercury News, August 27, 2004.

High tech implants to aid facial reconstruction to be developed at Loughborough University, Innovations Reports, August 27, 2004.

3D Printers Lead Growth of Rapid Prototyping, Plastics Technology, August 2004.

Walter Reed using 3-D technology to improve treatment, ARNEWS, March 24, 2004.

Business Beat: Perseverance pays off, Pioneer Press, March 21, 2004.

The Shape of Prints to Come, The Press Association, March 10, 2004.

The CAD Society: Designing a Better Future, Time-Compression Technologies, January 2004.

Molecular Nanotechnology Fully Loaded with Benefits and Risks, The Futurist, January 5, 2004.

Instant Manufacturing, Technology Review, November 2003.

Words of Wisdom: Rapid manufacturing on the horizon, Plastics Machinery & Auxiliaries, October 2003.

3-D Printing's Great Leap Forward, Wired News, August 11, 2003.

Prototype or product? Rapid manufacturing is closer to mainstream, Plastics Machinery & Auxiliaries, April 2003.

Golden firm may aid twins: Skull models could help in separation, published in the August 20, 2002, edition of the Denver Post.

Engineer selling her invention to firms and investors, Detroit Free Press, August 6, 2002.

Articles: 1992-2001

Rapid Manufacturing, published in the November 2001 issue of Computer Graphics World.

Imaging Faster New design tools and software allow CEOs and customers to move products to market; published in the August 2001 issue of Darwin magazine.

Who Needs a Factory When You Have a Printer?, originally published in the June 2001 issue of eCFO magazine under the title Absolutely Fab.

Cyber Cloning 3-D computer images can be quickly turned into hands-on prototypes; published in May 31, 2001 issue of Minneapolis' PioneerPlanet.

Computer technology helping speed products to market, published in the May 11, 2001 issue of The Cincinnati Enquirer.

The Solid Future of Rapid Prototyping, published in the March 24, 2001 U.S. edition of The Economist.

Rapid Prototyping: Pretty Soon, You Won't Be Able To Get Along Without It, published by Plastics Technology in February 2001.

Rapid Tooling Is Ready For Prime Time, published by Plastics Technology in January 2001.

Methods of Rapid Tooling Worldwide, published in the October 2000 issue of MoldMaking Technology Magazine.

Scale Models from Thin Air Some day in the next millennium, architects may be able to put design information into a machine that will automatically construct a complete building; authored by B.J. Novitski and published in August 2000.

Rapid Prototyping: A Subtle Industrial Revolution, published in the April 2000 issue of Industrial Equipment News.

Foreword to Product Concept & Design Engineering—a supplement to Automotive Manufacturing International published in 1999 by Sterling Publications Limited (London, England).

Digital Architect: Rapid prototyping lets architects make scale models from computer files, authored by B.J. Novitski and published in December 1999.

Industry's Amazing New Instant Prototypes, published in the January 12, 1998 edition of Fortune magazine.

Rapid Prototyping Systems, published in the November 1996 issue of Computer Graphics World.

RP Brings 3D Printing to the Design Office published in the August 1996 issue of Computer-Aided Engineering.

Pondering Windows and the Future of Unix published in the February 1996 issue of CGW.

The Challenge of 3D Digitizing published in the November 1995 issue of CGW.

TriSpectives Should Be a Hit published in the November 1995 issue of CGW.

AutoCAD and Rapid Prototyping published in the November 1995 issue of CADENCE.

Pro/JR Is No Small Fry published in the September 1995 issue of CGW.

3D Digitizers for Engineering published in the March 1995 issue of CGW.

Surfcam Machines to the Max published in the March 1994 issue of Computer-Aided Engineering.

PC Graphics Gear Up published in the January 1994 issue of Computer-Aided Engineering.

Cashing in on Rapid Prototyping published in the September 1993 issue of Computer-Aided Engineering.

Chrysler Compares Rapid Prototyping Systems published in the October 1992 issue of Computer-Aided Engineering.

CAD Meets Rapid Prototyping published in the April 1992 issue of Computer-Aided Engineering.

Reports, Papers, and Other Publications

Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing: Identifying the Future of Freeform Processing, a government-sponsored report produced by 65 experts from academia, industry, and government in March 2009 in Washington, DC.

Wohlers Report 2011, an in-depth analysis of additive manufacturing worldwide.

State of the Industry and Technology Update, presented at EuroMold 2003 in a conference titled "Worldwide Advances and Setbacks in Rapid Prototyping, Tooling & Manufacturing," December 2003.

New Developments and Trends in Rapid and High-Performance Tooling, presented at EuroMold 2002 in a conference titled "Worldwide Advances in Rapid and High-Performance Tooling," December 2002.

Growth Trends and Advances in Rapid Prototyping, presented at EuroMold 2001 in a conference titled "New Developments and Trends in RP Around the World," November 2001.

Using RP Methods for Production Parts, presented at EuroMold in an event titled "RP - Rapid Production: An International Conference," December 2000.

Advances in Rapid Technologies Worldwide, presented at EuroMold at a conference titled "Rapid Tooling's Strategic Benefits & Risks," December 1999.

3,000 Raw Ideas = 1 Commerical Success!, published in 1997 by the Industrial Research Institute.

The Arrival of RP and its Value to US Manufacturing published in October 1995.

RP's Impact Worldwide presented at the 28th ISATA Conference (September 1995) in Stuttgart, Germany.

Rapid Prototyping in Japan and Europe published Second Quarter 1995.

Advanced Applications of Rapid Prototyping a summary of the International Experts' Workshop held in Israel and published in 1993.

Rapid Prototyping Systems an overview of system technologies published in April 1993.

The World of Rapid Prototyping published in September 1992.

Rapid Prototyping Systems: Buy Now... Next Year... or Never? published in June 1992.

Guidelines for RP Success published in October 1991.

Rapid Prototyping: An update on applications, technology improvements, and developments in the industry, published in October 1991.

Installing a Rapid Prototyping System published in September 1991.

Dates the additive manufacturing system manufacturers were founded and when their technologies were introduced.

Summary of 391

"Wohlers" column in Time Compression

September/October 2011 The Discovery of 3D Printing by the Mainstream Press
Good news to those in the additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing industry: The mainstream media has discovered the technology.

July/August 2011 The DIY Maker Movement 
Additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing are supporting the maker movement, a collection of activities in the large and growing do-it-yourself (DIY) community.

May/June 2011 Will Additive Manufacturing Change Manufacturing? 
AM could very well become the most diverse, flexible, and accessible manufacturing technology ever.

March/April 2011 Why You Won't Have an AM Machine in Your Garage 
For many years, additive manufacturing (AM) industry insiders have speculated on the role the general public will play in the adoption of AM.

November/December 2010 How Document Printers Are Like Additive Manufacturing Machines 
The document printing industry has experienced a long and vibrant life.

September/October 2010 AM FAQs 
In June 2010, I spoke to about 600 engineering and manufacturing professionals in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, and Brisbane about additive manufacturing (AM) for part production.

July/August 2010 Additive Manufacturing 101: Part IV 
Additive manufacturing (AM) systems have been capable of building metal parts for more than a decade, but only recently have these systems begun to gain traction in the market place.

May/June 2010 Additive Manufacturing 101: Part III  
Additive manufacturing (AM) systems that build parts in photopolymer were among the first to emerge in the late 1980s.

March/April 2010 Additive Manufacturing 101: Part II  
Laser sintering (LS) is a process that has grown in popularity for making strong plastic parts.

January/February 2010 Additive Manufacturing 101: Part I  
The importance of additive manufacturing (AM) is certainly growing, and many people are being confronted with the tech that they may not have even a basic understanding about.  

November/December 2009 3D Printing Goes Open-Source  
A relatively recent development is quietly taking place, and it could have an interesting impact on the additive manufacturing (AM) industry.

September/October 2009 RapidTech: Industry's Best Kept Secret  
Have you heard of the National Center for Rapid Technologies, also known as RapidTech? The National Science Foundation funded the launch of the four-year program at Saddleback College (Mission Viejo, CA) in September 2007. Its purpose is to support industry and education at all levels, particularly in the adoption of rapid technologies, such as additive manufacturing (AM), to increase global competitiveness.

July/August 2009 A Low-volume Production Site: Coming to a Garage Near You  
Service providers, also known as “service bureaus,” have long been a staple in the additive manufacturing (AM) industry. They were among the early adopters and pioneers in the application of AM technology.

May/June 2009 What Do You Call It?
"3D printing" is becoming a popular term, and some expect it to develop as the most accepted umbrella term in the future.

March/April 2009 Gaming + Additive Fabrication = Big Business
The use of additive fabrication technology to produce video game characters and player avatars is growing at an almost unbelievable pace. 

Wohlers "Viewpoint" column in Time-Compression Technologies

September/October 2008 10 Methods that will Impact the Next 10 Years
Methods of additive fabrication will have a profound impact on the future of rapid product development and manufacturing.

May/June 2008 History of Additive Fabrication (Part 2)
This two-part series provides a timeline that shows how additive fabrication technologies have developed from their inception in 1987 to 2007. The first part picks up where Part 1 ended. 

March/April 2008 History of Additive Fabrication (Part 1)
This two-part series provides a timeline that shows how additive fabrication technologies have developed from 1987 to 2007. The first part covers 1987 through 2002. 

January/February 2008 International Business Etiquette (Part 2)
More and more business is being conducted abroad, so it’s a good idea to know about the culture before you go so that you don’t commit a major faux pas. For this and the next issue, our Viewpoint column will touch on some of the major cultures around the world and what is accepted, expected and just plain frowned upon. What’s proper in one country may not be in the next. Avoid mistakes that can lead to a less than favorable impression and reduce the chances of success when traveling on business.

November/December 2007 International Business Etiquette (Part 1)
More and more business is being conducted abroad, so it’s a good idea to know about the culture before you go so that you don’t commit a major faux pas. For this and the next issue, our Viewpoint column will touch on some of the major cultures around the world and what is accepted, expected and just plain frowned upon. What’s proper in one country may not be in the next. Avoid mistakes that can lead to a less than favorable impression and reduce the chances of success when traveling on business.

November/December 2007 (Service Provider Supplement) The Outgrowth of Service Providers 
In the last several years, a number of new materials for additive systems have been developed that greatly increase the ability of parts to be used as functional prototypes. As a consequence, the demand for functional prototype parts is expected to increase and service providers will likely fulfill the bulk of this demand. 

September/October 2007 How to Survive Extreme Global Business Trips (Part 2)
Learn more tips from someone who survived a nine-day loop around the world to make your own business trips a little easier.

May/June 2007 How to Survive Extreme Global Business Trips (Part 1)
Business trips around the world are starting to become more common. Learn how Terry Wohlers managed to survive one extreme business trip where he traveled from the U.S. to Europe, to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Tokyo, and then back to the U.S. again to complete a loop around the world in just nine days.

March/April 2007 Confused by Terminology?
"Rapid prototyping" once served well as the term used to describe a class of technology and its applications, but times have changed.

January/February 2007 A Jaw-Dropping Display of Color Models
The 3DP User Group organized the world's most impressive collection of color models produced by 3D printing. 

September/October 2006 The Industry's Next Major Turning Point
What is the next major crossroad, for better or worse, in additive fabrication?

May/June 2006 Where Additive Processes Fit in The Mass Customization Movement
Additive technologies will play a significant role in the production of custom and personalized products in the future.

March/April 2006 Obstacles to Rapid Manufacturing
Will material cost, processing issues and company culture stifle growth?

January/February 2006 A View from 10 Years Ago
Terry Wohlers' view from 10 years ago—Where the industry was headed and where it ended up.

November/December 2005 (Special Supplement) How to Find the Right Service Provider

November/December 2005 Are Under–$1,000 3D Printers in Our Future?
As 3D printer hardware and materials evolve, and the demand for them increase, some unit prices will likely dip below $20,000 for the first time.

September/October 2005 Too Many Industry Events?
Industry and academic conferences and expositions in the U.S., Europe, and other parts of the world focus on additive fabrication.

May/June 2005 Will Multicolor Flourish or Flounder

March/April 2005 Material Options: An Absence or Abundance?
For some, it is easy to forget that material can make the difference between success and failure when prototyping.

January/February 2005 Rapid RP Growth in South Africa
Recent international conference and exhibition underscores the country's strong interest in the technology and its application.

November/December 2004 Will A/E/C Embrace RP? 
Opportunities abound, but questions remain.

August/September 2004 What the 3D Systems/EOS Settlement Means to the Industry
The resolution of eight lawsuits paves the way for improved competition and a stronger industry.

April/May 2004 Rapid Short-Run Production Will Protect U.S. Manufacturing
With its leadership in RP technology, the U.S. is poised to secure a precious share of manufacturing in the future.

Wohlers "3D Printing" column in Time-Compression Technologies

November/December 2005 Factors to Consider When Choosing a 3D Printer
With shipments of 3D printers nearly doubling over the past year, interest in acquiring 3D printing technology has increased dramatically.

September/October 2005 3D Printing in Education
How High Schools, Colleges and Universities Leverage 3D Printing Technology.

May/June 2005 Why Send a Model When You Can Fax a 3D Print?
Terry Wohlers talks about the benefits of this new technology for your business.

March/April 2005 3D Printing Supports Collaboration with Suppliers Around the Globe
Fast, affordable 3D prints facilitate interaction between product design and manufacturing.

January/February 2005 3D Printing Provides Benefits Throughout Product Development
Communicate increased product knowledge from conceptual design through production.

"Perspectives" column in Time-Compression Technologies

October/November 2003 Will the Service Provider Survive?
The key to RP success is a strategic plan for the future while acquiring the people, processes and skills necessary to support the plan.

March/April 2003 Has Anything Changed in Ten Years?
The Rapid Prototyping Association (RPA) of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. Since the inception of this organization, much has changed. And yet, many things remain the same.

January/February 2003 Is CNC Machining Really Better than RP?
Knowledge of both technologies is important for the selection of the right tool for the job.

November/December 2002 A Year Filled With Promising R&D
Despite a challenging year, the RP industry has continued its research and development of new products, processes, materials and applications.

September/October 2002 Surviving Tough Times
From these challenging economic times, the RP industry will gain strong leaders, new applications and exciting solutions.

May/June 2002 Timing Isn't Everything, But Almost
Nothing in itself is truly good or bad. It is when you put it to work that matters in the end.

March/April 2002 The Real Cost of RP
What to consider before bringing RP in-house.

February 2002 RP Applications: The Possibilities Are Endless
New advances and trends yield surprises

November 2001 Can Technology Acquisition Be An Emotional Decision?
To offer winning products, companies must make sweeping changes--both cultural and technical--to their product development practices.

October 2001 Obstacles to RP's Growth 
Rapid prototyping is not immune to the wide ranging obstacles that limit the growth of new products and technology.

September 2001 Lessons from Guttenberg's Legacy  
What has the RP industry taken from this German inventor and the processes that follow?

June 2001 3-D Printers for the Home: Are They in Our Future?  
Reviewing the cost of a 3-D printer will determine if it's a justifiable expense and a desirable solution.

May 2001 What's in a Name?  
Although the definition of rapid prototyping is varied and the application of the term diverse, it may continue to be the most commonly used definition.

April 2001 Rapid Production: Key Barriers to Growth  
The ways in which rapid production could change the future of manufacturing, coupled with its economic impact, are astounding, but there are barriers.

March 2001 Here Lies... Obituaries of RP Manufacturers
Many rapid prototyping vendors have failed, and more will follow. Here's why.

January/February 2001 Rapid Prototyping in 2006
Incremental change. Is that all that can be expected of the rapid prototyping industry?

"Internet Editorial" from Rapid Prototyping Journal

October 2002, Vol. 8, No. 5, Internet Editorial: Xpress3D

June 2002, Vol. 8, No. 3, Internet Editorial: The Traveling Engineer

April 2002, Vol. 8, No. 2, Internet Editorial: Will Magazines Become Obsolete?

October 2001, Vol. 7, No. 5, Internet Editorial: Castle Island's Web site

August 2001, Vol. 7, No. 4, Internet Editorial: Will Internet Companies Thrive in the Future?

June 2001, Vol. 7, No. 3, Internet Editorial: Is efunda an Industry Best Kept Secret?

April 2001, Vol. 7, No. 2, Internet Editorial: E-commerce: The Challenges of Creating a B2B Exchange

January 2001, Vol. 7, No. 1, Internet Editorial: Bits2Parts.com

October 2000, Vol. 6, No. 4, Internet Editorial: Are You Puzzled Too?

July 2000, Vol. 7, No. 3, Internet Editorial: Quote Generation on the Web

"Wohlers Talk" column from Prototyping Technology International

September 1998 The Demise of the Service Bureau?

April/June 1998 The Beginning of the End?

January/March 1998 BPM Technology: Why the Company Failed

October 1997 RP-driven RT - Can it compete?

July/September 1997 Will 3D Printers Cannibalize RP Systems?

1998 Annual Review 1997: A Year of News, Surprises and Challenges

1997 Annual Review RP Past and Present