IMTS Influence on Large 3D Printing

IMTS 2024 — The International Manufacturing Technology Show took place in September and showcased the event’s ongoing influence on large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM). Even though the first 3D printed car, Strati, was manufactured 10 years ago at IMTS, showgoers were still impressed this year as they made their way into the show and stopped to see the technology from 2014 displayed in McCormick Square.

The Story of Strati

In 2014, even the largest commercial 3D printers were relatively small, with high material costs and low printing speeds. A team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) Dr. Lonnie Love (now at Sandia Labs) set out to create a massive 3D printer capable of printing an entire car in the AMT Emerging Technology Center at IMTS 2014. The challenge was twofold with time constraints — first, in just six months, build the 3D printer and design/engineer the car, named Strati; then, during the six days of IMTS 2014, print, machine, assemble and test the Strati.

It should be noted that Italian designer Michele Anoe chose the name Strati because it means “layers” in Italian and reflects the fundamental characteristic of the ORNL 3D printer, which could lay down successive layers to create the car’s iconic form.

Project partner Cincinnati Inc. provided a giant three-axis laser cutting gantry, which the team modified by replacing the laser with a custom extruder head and material feeder, and adding a heated bed. It also developed software for printing and simulation.

A key issue identified by ORNL’s Vlastimil Kunc using AlphaSTAR’s simulation software was considerable material warpage and low throughput from the extruder. In response, Kunc and the team designed a screw that increased material flow to 35 lbs/hr., creating the fastest print speeds to date. The screw was machined a week before IMTS, and the team hoped its models were accurate for the final print. 

The result was a major success. Strati’s body was printed in two days, machined and completed at the show. On the final day, Jay Rogers, then-CEO of Local Motors (now founder and CEO of Haddy), drove the car out of IMTS with Doug Woods, president of AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, in the passenger seat to great fanfare from the manufacturing community.

Strati’s Legacy

The success of printing a car at IMTS 2014 sparked new ideas, companies and global industries — which were on full display at IMTS 2024. 
Rogers’ innovation continued beyond Local Motors. At IMTS 2024, he shared his experiences on multiple stages. Now the CEO of Haddy, a high-end furniture company utilizing CEAD Flexbot robotic printers, his furniture was featured in the IMTS+ Technology Hub Lounge in the Additive Manufacturing Sector, accelerated by Formnext. CEAD’s exhibit (IMTS booth 432430) also showcased Haddy Furniture and aerospace-grade tooling. And, coming in 2025, Rogers and Haddy will be featured in an episode of the new IMTS+ series “Passion Project” at IMTS.com/PassionProject.

Austin Schmidt, inspired by the Strati printed at IMTS 2014, co-founded Additive Engineering Solutions, an LFAM service bureau. At IMTS 2024, he shared his experience with the original Cincinnati Inc. systems and the CEAD Flexbot.

Thermwood (IMTS booth 433103), which helped machine the Strati in 2014, returned in 2024 with its (LFAM) printer, which towered over the showroom floor and printed parts as large as 8 feet long. Notably, this was one of the smallest machines in its catalog. It also displayed large wood and aluminum tools using its Cut Layer Additive process.

Michael Parks, an additive engineer from Cincinnati Inc., co-founded GZERO Additive (IMTS booth 433152). While its equipment is smaller than other systems, it fits a growing niche. Its booth was filled with examples of tooling and end-use parts made from numerous engineering materials.  

Rahul Kasat, vice president of 3D Systems (IMTS booth 433129) presented its EXT Titan Pellet 3D printer, which uses open-source materials to produce large parts.  

Caracol (IMTS booth 433039) exhibited in two locations — its Heron robotic printer at the Kuka exhibit (IMTS booth 236807), and tooling and furniture designed by its partner, DIVE, in the Additive Sector. DIVE CEO Alex Tholl also gave a moving talk about the company’s 3D printed pet prosthetics and furniture projects on the IMTS+ Main Stage and Formnext Stage (IMTS.com/IconicBrands).

Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies (IMTS booth 432320) showcased its AMBIT XTRUDE, which is capable of turning any machine tool into a large pellet-fed 3D printer. 

ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) has grown tenfold since 2014, becoming the nation’s leading AM innovation laboratory. At IMTS 2024, its convergent manufacturing platform — which integrates metal AM with CNC machining and other processes — anchored the AMT Emerging Technology Center, producing parts and collecting data throughout the show.  

Punching Through the Strati-Sphere

In a recent IMTS+ “Tom & Lonnie Chat”  (IMTS.com/TLCStrati), Dr. Lonnie Love, project lead for the Strati, reflected on the project, saying, “I guarantee we accelerated the [AM] technology by five years, just through those nine months of stressing the system and moving fast.”

IMTS 2024 offered a wide array of speaking platforms, with content rivaling any major conference. Members of the 2014 Strati team took to the IMTS+ Main Stage, celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their groundbreaking work and emphasizing how AM is set to fundamentally change how we make things.  

While the AM sector continues to expand, panelists on the Formnext Stage remarked that AM companies now feel like established players in manufacturing. Once young and emerging, these companies have matured, standing alongside traditional manufacturing equipment and software vendors. AM has become mainstream — recognized as a viable and efficient way to produce components, especially for large-scale projects. No longer a solution in search of an application, it is now a proven method of making things. Many of these advances can be traced back to the bold, even audacious, technology demonstration at IMTS 2014. 

Speaking of Audacious

AMT, Mesago Messe Frankfurt and Gardner Business Media have combined forces to create a new event — Formnext Chicago 2025. AMT owns and operates IMTS. Mesago runs Formnext, the largest AM trade show in Europe. Gardner Business Media is the power behind Additive Manufacturing Media, AM Magazine and “The Cool Parts Show.” 

Formnext Chicago will feature an Emerging Technology Center with the latest in AM research.

Register today for Formnext Chicago 2025, April 8-10. And visit IMTS+ at IMTS.com to watch the presentations and video series from IMTS 2024, including “How To 3D Print the Audacious” (IMTS.com/Audacious), a panel discussion with key team players that printed the Strati.