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Mag to Mag Festival 2023 https://ift.tt/LCq26A7 A mag festival like no other. For their first-ever live event, magazine fanatics FRABS sure know how to host a fair!
With over 10,000 people flooding through the doors to browse the hundreds of books, magazines, and zines. It was so great to see so many people in one place celebrating print and independent publishing. Truly, PRINT ISN’T DEAD. Not to mention it was so inspiring to meet all the amazing creators, authors, and artists that were selling their works. We can’t wait for the next one! And of course a big congratulations to FRABS for pulling off one of the greatest events this year!
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS FEATURED IN THIS ARTICLE – WRPD magazine is a biannual magazine that promotes the dialogue between Art, Photography, and Fashion. It is an independent project that expresses a contemporary vision through the eyes and works of established international talented designers, photographers, and writers. Besides the print magazine, WRPD also offers an exclusive online platform. – ATHLETA magazine is a photographic and editorial project developed by Athleta Lab. A physical and digital ode to the athletic muse, divided between the poetry of print and the incisiveness of daily communication. Their philosophy is reflected in this dual soul, encapsulated as much in their independent magazine distributed worldwide as in the constant creation and sharing of topical content delivered daily on their digital platforms. – BLUMENHAUS is a luxurious hybrid of an art book and a magazine founded and designed with care by Camille Gressier & Isabelle Laydier Kristensen. The publication travels back in time with a philosophical and romantic approach. Written exclusively in English by a group of professional editors & journalists specialised in botany, it focuses as much on the aesthetic side – mixing contemporary visuals and antique archives – as on bringing insight to its readers. – CARNALE is a creative studio and an independent editorial project with a bold positioning. A biannual rhythm and a Milanese libido. ‘CONTENT CREATION, ART DIRECTION, WILD EVENTS, AND SECRET ROOMS TO UNLOCK…’CAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO HIDE TO SEDUCE.’ Printing via People of Print https://ift.tt/0wIUhPq May 13, 2023 at 07:17AM
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Service Performance Consistently Strong Across All Mail Categories https://ift.tt/E5xh8Zs WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service reported new delivery performance metrics for the fifth week of the third quarter for fiscal year 2023 showing improved delivery performance across all mail categories. The average time for the Postal Service to deliver a mailpiece or package across the nation remained at just 2.5 days. Printing via USPS News https://ift.tt/25gtVke May 12, 2023 at 01:11PM U.S. Postal Service Honors Chief Standing Bear https://ift.tt/wnqlbCU LINCOLN, NE — The Postal Service issued the Chief Standing Bear Forever stamp today, honoring the Native American civil rights icon, who won a landmark court ruling in 1879 that determined a Native American was a person under the law with an inherent right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Printing via USPS News https://ift.tt/25gtVke May 12, 2023 at 11:01AM
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17 tools to build an omnichannel marketing communication approach https://ift.tt/qVspEea From social media to Google searches, there are many ways for shoppers to interact with your brand. So, you can’t just stick with a single platform. In fact, Twilio Segment found that 67% of buyers want to interact with a retail business on a variety of platforms. In other words, you have to maintain a presence on multiple channels — such as social media, email, websites, and mobile apps — to offer an excellent customer journey. An omnichannel marketing strategy will help you offer a seamless experience across all these touchpoints and more. However, this approach requires tools that work together to deliver consistent messaging and personalized experiences. These platforms range from customer relationship management (CRM) software to email marketing apps to analytics tools. We’ll explore some of the most effective omnichannel marketing tools to help you create consistent customer experiences across multiple channels. Here’s a summary of the tools (you can skip straight to the one you care about the most, too!): Table Of Contents What is omnichannel communication?Omnichannel communication gives customers a cohesive experience, regardless of the channel they use to interact with your brand. A customer can shop in a physical store, look for products on the website, or navigate the categories in the app, and the brand experience will be the same. When a customer visits your online store or clicks your ad on another website, all your channels update to reflect their most recent interaction with your brand. For example, a prospective customer looks at noise-canceling headphones on your mobile app but doesn’t make a purchase. This triggers an email that shows them additional options with discount offers. The next time the customer logs into their Instagram account, they see an ad from your business showing a sale on noise-canceling headphones. They get the same message on Facebook and YouTube. The shopper later returns to your app and makes a purchase. Consistently engaging your target audience across different channels like this can help improve the customer experience and boost your conversion chances. Importance of omnichannelOmnichannel marketing lets you meet customers where they are and offer personalized experiences at the right time. According to the Twilio Segment report, 49% of customers would likely become repeat buyers of a brand if they receive customized shopping experiences. Not to mention, 80% of business leaders also saw an increase in customer spending after they offered tailored experiences. Since an omnichannel marketing approach helps you offer that customized and consistent experience on various channels, it ends up helping you build customer loyalty and improve ROI and sales. Similarly, you also enjoy increased brand awareness, customer engagement, and customer lifetime value. Omnichannel vs. multichannelSome marketers might confuse omnichannel and multichannel, but they are distinct strategies. The key difference is their goal. An omnichannel strategy focuses on customer needs. It identifies all the touchpoints between your brand and customers. It then finds ways to enhance customers’ connection to your business and increase convenience. In contrast, a multichannel strategy focuses on your product or service. The emphasis is to get your products to as many valuable customers as possible. It hinges on boosting your brand’s online presence more than deepening the customer experience. Omnichannel marketing toolsAlthough omnichannel is a useful strategy, Statista shares that only 35% of business managers believe their omnichannel personalization efforts were successful in 2022. To build an effective omnichannel marketing strategy and take advantage of all the benefits, you need the right tools. These tools can help you offer customers a consistent experience and stand out from the competition:
Email marketing automation softwareEmail marketing platforms help you create effective email campaigns and send newsletters to build customer relationships and boost sales. Here are some of the best email automation tools that can help you grow your omnichannel marketing campaigns and do so much more: 1. GetResponse MAXBest email marketing automation software for: Medium to large enterprise-level businesses that need to automate their marketing across channels and at scale. GetResponse MAX is an automation platform offering a flexible suite of marketing and sales-enhancing features. Its integrated cross-channel tools help you reach leads and grow your customer base by delivering messages to your audience’s favorite platforms. You can then use Dynamic Content to automatically evolve product offers for customers as you learn more about them. GetResponse MAX also connects to your business tools directly to boost data-driven insights. These integrated tools can open opportunities for cross-selling, upselling, niche selling, repeat sales, and add-on sales. On top of that, email marketing coupled with SMS automation gives you a complete multichannel campaign. You can send personalized offers through email to enhance your chances of selling. At the same time, you can boost your marketing efforts with bulk text messages based on selected conditions, contact information, and user behavior. The AI product recommendation feature matches your products to the preferences and needs of each customer. It also suggests the items they’ll most likely buy. Meanwhile, web push notifications attract multiple visitors to your website for more conversions. A Customer Experience Manager helps you optimize your campaigns. You also get 24/7 priority support through email, phone, Slack, and live chat. GetResponse MAX integrates with the other types of omnichannel marketing platforms listed in this guide, as well as 100+ business tools. As a result, you can sync and automate your campaigns and achieve better overall results with less effort. Key features: 2. Constant ContactBest email marketing tool for: Small businesses that need easy-to-use tools to build deeper relationships with customers. Constant Contact is an email marketing software that helps small businesses connect with their audiences and grow their brands. The software helps you send targeted emails to subscribers based on their engagement with your company. You can choose from a library of professionally designed email templates and edit them to suit your audience. The platform also allows you to add and organize your subscribers in one place and segment your customers to target them with the right emails. With its reporting feature, you can see who’s opening, clicking, and sharing your emails; spot trends; and improve your campaigns. Key features:
3. KlaviyoBest email marketing software for: Online stores looking for seamless integration with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce. Klaviyo offers advanced email functionality and SMS services for online shops looking to boost their revenue. The platform has an easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor and ready-made responsive templates to help you create marketing messages quickly. You can personalize your emails with dynamic blocks and product recommendations, too. Klaviyo provides real-time reporting capabilities that help you monitor website interactions and campaign performance. As a result, you can send better emails to your subscribers and boost sales. Key features:
4. ActiveCampaignBest email marketing platform for: Small and medium-sized companies looking to grow through improved customer relationships. ActiveCampaign is an email marketing software that helps you develop customer relationships and grow your business through automated email campaigns. The platform has all the features you’d expect in an email automation tool, such as autoresponders, segmentation, email funnels, scheduling, and A/B testing. It also has advanced features like geotracking, which shows you where your recipients are coming from. The email software helps you personalize your emails using customer data. You can also do A/B split tests of up to five different email versions to determine which one performs best. Key features:
CRM toolsA customer relationship solution helps you organize customer information to build solid relationships and grow your business. Here are some platforms you can use to boost your omnichannel strategy: 5. Salesforce CRMBest CRM tool for: Businesses that want cloud technology to better connect with prospects and customers. Salesforce CRM is a cloud-based platform that offers innovative solutions for businesses of all types. From sales and marketing automation to self-service portals and call-center software, Salesforce gives you everything you need to build solid customer relationships. The platform lets you manage leads, customers, and opportunities using its interactive dashboard. As a result, you get a bird’s-eye view of your business and real-time alerts on customer requirements and ways to solve issues faster. Key features:
6. HubSpot CRMBest CRM platform for: Growing businesses that want to attract and engage their customers. HubSpot CRM is a popular tool that gives you access to detailed reports on productivity, individual performance, and sales activity. You can use these insights to track your campaign performance and identify growth opportunities. In addition, the tool offers various solutions based on your role within the company. These position-specific solutions include operations, marketing, sales, and customer service. For example, your sales team can use the software to notify them when a prospect visits your website or opens an email. They can then use those details to follow up via email, live chat, or phone. Key features:
7. Zoho CRMBest CRM software for: Companies that want to streamline their processes and customer data in one platform. Zoho CRM is a cloud-based system that provides all the tools you need to manage your leads and sales pipeline and grow your business. It helps you create sales workflows, customize your processes, and leverage advanced reporting. The paid plans offer a full suite of integrated apps for customer support, marketing, human resources, accounting, and inventory management. Zoho Creator enables you to design a mobile app for your business in minutes. As a result, you can access your business data from anywhere using your iOS and Android devices. Key features:
8. Zendesk CRMBest CRM service for: Small businesses looking to maximize productivity, processes, and pipeline visibility. Zendesk is a CRM software integrated with help desk and ticketing features that lets you manage customers from one dashboard. With Zendesk, you can track opportunities and leads in your pipeline and get real-time notifications when you get an inquiry. You can also assign projects and collaborate with your team. In addition, you can access all the platform features from its mobile app and attend to customers on the go. Key features:
Ecommerce toolsThese platforms enable businesses to sell their products and services online. Here are some of the best platforms to launch your online store and grow your omnichannel marketing campaigns: 9. ShopifyBest ecommerce platform for: Businesses looking to build an online store and sell through a streamlined dashboard. Shopify is one of the best ecommerce platforms due to its advanced features, like a conversion-optimized checkout, thousands of apps, and a suite of marketing tools. The platform offers mobile-friendly designs, customizable themes, and an easy-to-use interface. It also stands out for its extensive dropshipping integrations, which make it easy to sell online without an inventory. Key features:
10. WooCommerceBest ecommerce plugin for: Brands looking to build an online store using WordPress. WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that transforms your website into a store. Its basic version is free, but you can customize it with a wide range of extensions. The extensions provide options for omnichannel and multichannel marketing, SEO features, and payment gateways. Key features:
11. BigCommerceBest ecommerce solution for: Online stores looking to scale big. BigCommerce provides a comprehensive suite of tools ranging from marketing to analytics, coupled with support from industry experts. The platform is built for online selling with the features you need to generate leads, close sales, and scale your business. Key features:
Analytics toolsWeb analytics tools track, measure, and report website activity, including user clicks, traffic, and visitor sources. These analytics tools will give you insights into what’s happening on your website: 12. Google AnalyticsBest analytics tool for: Companies that want advanced insights into their businesses. Google Analytics is a popular free web analytics tool that tracks quantitative user data across platforms and devices. It provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. You can track essential campaign metrics, such as engagement rate, views, and sessions, which are organized in detailed reports to show what’s happening on your website in real time. Key features:
13. KissmetricsBest analytics platform for: Businesses looking for critical insights and user interaction on their websites. Kissmetrics is a marketing and product analytics tool that helps you accelerate your business growth with quantitative data. The platform has a customizable dashboard that lets you see key metrics at a glance. You can then use segmentation and cohort analysis to track users and understand their behavior on your website. In addition, you can measure key revenue metrics, like churn rate and customer lifetime value, to develop an omnichannel approach to boost customer loyalty. Key features:
14. MixpanelBest analytics software for: Companies looking to measure and optimize user engagement. Mixpanel is a product analytics platform that lets you engage, convert, and retain your target audience. It offers insights into how customers use your products and the most popular features. As a result, you can analyze which features benefit users most and enhance them to improve customer retention. Key features:
AI chatbotsAI-powered chatbots offer a more human-like user experience. They can engage in natural conversations and automate various tasks. Here are some of the best AI chatbots that can help you give customers a great omnichannel experience: 15. IBM Watson AssistantBest AI chatbot tool for: Brands that want to build better AI-powered virtual agents. IBM Watson Assistant helps you provide consistent and intelligent customer support across all touchpoints and channels with conversational AI. The AI assistant is built on machine learning (ML), natural language understanding (NLU), and natural language processing (NLP) to understand questions better and automate the search for the best answers. As a result, you can accurately complete the visitor’s intended action. Key features:
16. IntercomBest AI chatbot for: Businesses looking for custom bots to qualify leads, speed up customer resolutions, and grow their pipeline. Intercom is a customizable chatbot that helps you launch a bot to engage high-intent leads. You can then move the qualified leads to a conversation directly to convert them faster. The AI chatbot uses behavioral data and machine learning to respond to website visitors and offer a personalized experience. It also uses your business data to train the bot to complete tasks and provide answers relevant to your brand. Key features:
17. Clever MessengerBest AI chatbot software for: Brands looking to create AI-powered conversations with customers on social media platforms. Clever Messenger helps you build chatbots for your social media platforms and website. It offers various features, including A/B testing, a drag-and-drop interface, and customizable templates. You can set up simple Flows to have your AI chatbot automate sales, qualify leads, nurture relationships, provide support, and boost conversions on your behalf. Key features:
Final thoughtsThe omnichannel tools above will enable you to deliver engaging and consistent experiences to customers. The tools will also help you better understand customer behaviors and preferences, automate your marketing workflows, and deliver personalized messaging across multiple channels. GetResponse MAX offers a suite of advanced automation tools and integrates with 100+ top business and marketing platforms — including most of those on this list — to streamline your processes and save time. Printing via GetResponse Blog https://ift.tt/BXlreht May 12, 2023 at 09:29AM
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3D Printing Unpeeled: Programable Soft Actuators, Copper https://ift.tt/1Z7TIWX A research team has made programable carbon fiber 3D printed muscle using silicone that could make soft actuators more efficient and compact while reducing interference from vibration. The paper called 3D Printed Phase Change Artificial Muscles with Autonomous Vibration control is open access. Zurich based a-metal got CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick to continue to make its low cost cartridge based metal printer. ESA is experiencing with green laser pure copper electromagnetic coils and has made exemplars that perform well in its Additive Manufacturing of Metal Coils (ATOMEC) project. The post 3D Printing Unpeeled: Programable Soft Actuators, Copper appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/3oOctEV May 12, 2023 at 09:26AM
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Dyndrite RAPID Roundup: Partnering with Impossible Objects, BCN3D, AMFG, & UPM https://ift.tt/q8sephn Like so many other 3D printing companies, Dyndrite attended the recent RAPID + TCT, North America’s premier annual additive manufacturing trade show. The Seattle-based AM software company, which developed its Accelerated Computation Engine (ACE) and Application Development Kit (ADK) to help customers create digital manufacturing software and hardware, showcased a group of parametrically-created Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) builds representing several metal 3D printer providers, including Aconity3D, EOS, Renishaw, and SLM Solutions, for which it provides native file integration. Dyndrite’s LPBF materials and process software can help control surface roughness, tailor print parameters for complex geometry, enable methods for developing angle-based print support requirements, and more. Additionally, Dyndrite made several announcements before and during the event. Impossible ObjectsFirst, Impossible Objects is using Dyndrite’s ADK to power its high-speed composite-based additive manufacturing process. CBAM 25, which uses roll-fed inkjet technology, is said to be 15 times faster than its competitor processes, with a continuous printing rate of 25 feet per minute, or almost 11,000 cm^3/hr of parts printed per hour.
CBAM 25 is durable and simple to maintain, operates at room temperature, and is easy to operate, and the machines will be available early next year. The proprietary Rules-based Automated Masking Packing and Slicing (ON-RAMP) software by Impossible Objects is powered by Dyndrite, and drives the CBAM process by integrating Dyndrite’s GPU-accelerated, Python-based ACE. The software offers a programmable, automated CAD-to-print workflow with a much faster build time and traceable, repeatable parts, as well as an easy-to-use GUI. The Dyndrite-driven solution also achieves a 90% reduction in manual labor, 20% improved build block use, faster processing of native CAD 3D data, customizable workflows, and more. BCN3DThe next Dyndrite announcement is that the first generation of BCN3D‘s patented Viscous Lithography Manufacturing (VLM) technology will be powered by its software. The production-oriented process uses high viscosity resins to print high-performance parts for less money, at a higher speed. VLM enables formulations with more modifiers and ingredients because it can process resins that are 50 times more viscous than the industry standard, which then opens up new mechanical and thermal properties. More than 500 companies have registered as early adopters of the technology through BCN3D’s VLM Technology Adoption Program (TAP). BCN3D has learned a lot about multi-property, multimaterial, and water-soluble applications from engineers in its TAP network who work in industries like dental, automotive, footwear, manufacturing, and 3D printing services. When looking to control its VLM units, the company researched top software providers and decided that Dyndrite’s ADK was the ideal solution. Using this GPU-powered production software is very important for BCN3D to be able to address software challenges that occur during automated 3D printing, and VLM users should be able to enjoy increased automation and productivity for their high-end polymer parts.
BCN3D will start sending the initial VLM systems to designated TAP participants this quarter. AMFGMES and workflow software provider AMFG is also integrating with Dyndrite, and the two announced AMFG powered by Dyndrite—a combined solution that will help achieve an easy one-stop shop for automated metal 3D printing. 3D print preparation, or additive CAM, is still a lengthy manual process and hinders a fully autonomous manufacturing workflow, especially in cases where machines from different vendors are used, or orders from multiple customers have to be in the same build. We still don’t have standardization of file formats, which adds time to print jobs, and there’s a skills shortage to contend with as well. Plus, costs rack up when you have to pay for multiple legacy software licenses and modules to manually prepare the files. The integrated AMFG powered by Dyndrite solution streamlines and automates the whole metal LPBF production process, which makes everything more efficient and less expensive. The combined solution makes it possible for service bureaus and users to easily receive and collate orders from multiple customers, and Dyndrite’s GPU-accelerated CAM engine allows the parts to be nested, supported, and labeled, and for toolpaths to be generated for compatible machines, such as the aforementioned SLM Solutions, EOS, Renishaw, and Aconity3D. The resulting production build data goes into AMFG’s own MES, which provides real-time status updates and analytics, and the data also goes into the QMS, to ensure quality. This integrated solution helps reduce the time to ship as well, and overall facilitates a much faster time to market.
AMFG powered by Dyndrite will be available in Q3 2023. UPM Additive SolutionsFinally, Dyndrite and UPM Additive Solutions, a top supplier of metal build plates, have entered into a joint agreement to bring data intelligence to build plates by creating “smart” plates for the metal AM industry.
Build plates are the foundation of prints, but many users don’t record important data that can inform them about the history and lifecycle of their plates. For LPBF users, this can lead to internal fatigue, powder leveling issues, and warping plates, all of which can result in print failures, i.e. lost time and money. Together, UPM Additive Solutions and Dyndrite will work to capture and provide this critical data in order to ensure a reliable supply chain.
Dyndrite will focus on the data aspect of this collaboration, while UPM Additive Solutions offers subscription services that can track build plates from manufacturers through customers and all the way to its refinishing. Each one is serialized, and maintains quality inspection data that’s easy to access, so Smart Build Plate customers can view the associated build data, including heat treatment, stress relief, and laser powder. The Smart Build Plate service should be available in Q3 of this year, and will support all major metal 3D printer OEMs. Images courtesy of Dyndrite, unless otherwise noted. The post Dyndrite RAPID Roundup: Partnering with Impossible Objects, BCN3D, AMFG, & UPM appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/3oOctEV May 12, 2023 at 09:26AM
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Adding Up the Progress: A Year of 3D Printing Evolution on Display at RAPID + TCT 2023 https://ift.tt/0dNlGDm As I was having my traditional panic attack in the Lyft on the way to McCormick Place, I realized something: technically, it hadn’t even been a full year since last year’s RAPID + TCT conference in Detroit. The 2022 event took place May 17-19, whereas this year it was May 2-4. This detail isn’t very interesting in itself, but it should be quite striking for anyone who has followed the additive manufacturing (AM) sector’s progress since around June 2022. Reflect on all the many developments over that time period, and consider that they have all happened in well under a year. Now, all of the industry’s advancements and growth weren’t immediately palpable just by walking around the exhibit floor. (This is especially true given the eerie aesthetic similarity of the interiors of all conference halls.) Again, to see exactly what — and exactly how much — has changed, you’d have to have followed 3D printing news over the second half of 2022, and most of the first half of 2023. And you had to talk to the people working in the industry. 3DPrint.com editor-in-chief Michael Molitch-Hou has already provided an excellent example of that in this synopsis of the event, which describes the fully-fledged entrance of AM into the broader manufacturing economy. That central theme of Mike’s article was affirmed, as well, by a discussion I had with Ross Adams and Sam Manning, Markforged’s business development manager and PR manager, respectively. No matter who you talked to, all the major themes driving the industry’s momentum throughout the last year seemed to inevitably, and organically, pop up. As I wrote in a post about 2022’s event, one of the big takeaways was that more or less everyone from every company was on-message about supply chain resilience. It was impressive cohesiveness, however much it may have also felt like the result of a heroic effort in PR coaching. This year, the major theme on everyone’s mind may have still been supply chain resilience, but it was far less necessary for that specifically to be spelled out. Instead, it was more likely to be already embedded in whatever the narrower topic of discussion was, illustrating the extent to which everyone in the industry has internalized the concept, and the pains that companies have gone to in order to organize around that objective. For instance, ADDiTEC, which is perhaps most active in the aerospace/defense market, nonetheless made a point to display parts from multiple different energy industries, including nuclear and wind. When I mentioned this in my conversation with the company’s application engineer, Louis DeMola, he smiled cheerfully and then basically left it at that. Then we talked about how quickly the EV market is growing. It didn’t even really need to be said why a company would choose to emphasize its activity in the world of energy at this point in history, then why that was important in terms of supply chain resilience, and why that was in turn a problem that could be solved by 3D printing, etc. That is a perfect example of the subtle but palpable difference in the mood this year. Last year, the environment still had the feel of an industry that was anxiously hoping that it was about to take off. This year, the mood was much calmer, with a cautious but optimistic sense in the air that the industry is indeed taking off. One obvious explanation for that might be that in May of last year, everyone was certain that the economy was on the brink of plunging into a recession. In May, 2023, the economy might still be about to enter a recession, but everyone has made it through a year of fearing that and survived. Regarding a company like ADDiTEC, there is reason to be optimistic, given the relative strength of the aerospace/defense market right now. Moreover, this represents a gamble that paid off for the company. When I asked DeMola why ADDiTEC moved its headquarters from Las Vegas to Florida, it turns out there was a very straightforward answer: “To be closer to the aerospace industry!” One compelling reason to bet on 3D printing is that companies in the industry have this sort of strategic vision, which perhaps isn’t surprising for an industry comprised largely of engineers. Along those same lines, Julie Beck, the marketing director at SPEE3D, pointed me to an article that the company’s Chief Technology Officer, Steven Camilleri, co-authored for Metal AM magazine. One of the things that the article argues, as Beck explained, is that the sheer number of different technologies with different names, all under the heading of AM, can be off-putting for new adopters. This, said Beck, can also make it harder for new workers entering the workforce — another major theme all throughout the last year. As Beck bluntly pointed out, “No one outside of additive calls it additive, and it confuses people.” SPEE3D contributed to making things less confusing for attendees by printing parts on-site with its LightSPEE3D cold spray printer. Standardization, another evergreen theme for the AM sector and especially important as it enters its scale-up phase, was on display in the partnership between AM-Flow and AMT Technologies. Alyssa Welch of AMT and Patricia van der Voort of AM-Flow showed me how the two companies integrate their platforms to help customers automate their workflows. Although van der Voort said there is still a ways to go in terms of fully automating AM end-product packaging, she also emphasized that largely because of standardization of parts, there has been tremendous progress in the last few years alone. Andreas Keck and Martin Neff from ARBURGadditive gave me some insight into the theme of legacy brands from overseas starting AM operations in the US. These types of relationships are only sure to proliferate as the industry continues to expand. Keck pointed out, though, that even though ARBURG, which has a century-long history in the machining industry, and also has major injection molding operations, it has to work just as hard as any other to succeed in 3D printing. Companies can’t expect to rest on their laurels. The technology has to live and die on its own merits. If there is a major theme that emerged at RAPID, itself, I think it is that as a whole, that is what is now happening in the 3D printing industry: the technology is speaking for itself. As Ross Adams at Markforged told me at the end of our conversation, “It’s taken 40 years to get to where you are today, but when you talk to people who have been in the industry for that long, they say something’s different this time.” The post Adding Up the Progress: A Year of 3D Printing Evolution on Display at RAPID + TCT 2023 appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/3oOctEV May 12, 2023 at 09:26AM
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The Half-Life of Things: Taking on Landfill Culture with 3D Printing https://ift.tt/nGSsPmf My parents had the same egg timer for my entire youth. It was a little, happy chicken-shaped plastic thing made in Europe. When, after 20 years or so, it broke, they went to a store to replace it. The replacement stopped working almost on arrival and its replacement lasted a few months. Now, only a few years later, they´ve had four egg timers total. Things are made with poor quality because the business model for manufacturing quality goods has eroded. You won’t be rewarded with lifelong customers. People will just hop to the next trend, maybe allowing colors and marketing to do their thinking. Your favorite cartoon sells an egg timer or your influencer of choice will point to one. A stodgy old brand and quality manufacturing practices hold companies back from a future of jazzed-up, marketing-juiced, low-quality products. A friend of mine had trouble finding needles and thread because people repair things less. A bicycle repairman I know closed his shop because he didn’t see a future in repairing bikes. I still have my first pair of Diesel jeans over 15 years later. Newer pairs tear in months. We are living in a world of delayed landfill. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find the good things amid flurries of bad ones. I’m obsessed with good things. I long to find the perfect belt, the perfect long-lasting kitchen knives. And I know it works. I gave my parents Henckels knives and a Peugeot pepper mill over 20 years ago and both have held up very well. I have Wüsthof knives and Meindl hiking boots that will last me a long time. I have a Carhartt hooded sweatshirt that I´ve had from when Seven and GoldenEye were in theaters and TLC´s “Waterfalls” was a hit. However, some brands are reducing quality, while trend cycles accelerate. Shopping for things is an activity. Some surveys show that one quarter of many people´s clothes are not worn for a year. I´ve seen the review process corrupted with low-quality hiking boots being praised and trendy watches, knives, and kitchen gear winning awards, topping “best of” lists while being poorly made. The ideal world of people recommending good products to everyone else hasn’t materialized. Reddit has a nice forum called “Buy It For Life,” which is handy, but, even there, there are traces of marketing-influenced posts. With so much in the way of stimuli and trends coming and going so quickly, we can’t really find the perfect item anymore. How happy does getting a thing make you? The fleeting moments seem to be even more fleeting, since, with such an abundance of opportunity cost and a plethora of choices, you can’t find the right thing. And even if you think you have it, there will be doubts because there is just so much more out there. Then, someone will come out with a new, more improved, better, even cooler thing. There are always more ads and more goods coming out all the time. All of this is incredibly wasteful and inefficient, of course. We are buying more things that make us less happy, while they are made to last less long. We’re setting ourselves up for failure. The most logical outcome is for youth to have an anti-thing movement, where they turn their backs on consumption en masse. In part, young people are more focused on experiences, so this may be occurring, in fact. However, most people, especially older generations will probably continue lumbering along, hoarding a landfill of ever-decreasing quality and increasing cost. I would not like to be an archeologist 200 years from now, if indeed there is hope for humans then. Let’s take this nihilistic view to its final, logical conclusion. The way to win at fast fashion is to be even faster. People complained about H&M for its fast fashion and low quality. Now, SHEIN throws up its incredibly low quality wear all over the world. And it is SHEIN that is being copied. People are trying to figure out how to work without quality standards and stock, just like they do. But maybe we can turn this to an advantage. With the half-life of happiness over things growing ever-shorter, maybe we can come up with the ultimate product for this age. You just have a web page for 1,000s of rendered designs—1,000s of objects being offered for sale. Only when a thing is ordered do you design it, 3D print it, and ship it to the customer. You don’t have fashion risk, inventory, or capital tied up in the supply chain at all. You don’t have a collection per se—just as many renders as you can generate on as many platforms as possible. Without inventory, you make what is needed in a punishing race to the bottom. At one point, our 3D printed crud will mean that their molds won’t be feasible. Maybe we should out-low quality produce them in order to make their business models collapse? Scissors by Ernst Wright,Kai, Fiskars and Lorenzi Milano. All last for a long time. The post The Half-Life of Things: Taking on Landfill Culture with 3D Printing appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/as1ukW0 May 12, 2023 at 07:36AM
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3D Printing Financials: 3D Systems Announces Net Loss, Weak Dental Sales and Layoffs https://ift.tt/K2cmy1v Shares in 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD) dropped abruptly following the release of its first-quarter 2023 earnings report, which showed weaker-than-expected financial performance. In addition, the company’s revenue for the quarter stood at $121.2 million, reflecting an 8.8% decline compared to the previous year. As a result, the company experienced a sharp decline in its stock price during off-hours trading, with shares opening 10% lower the next day. Weak Dental SalesRevenue from the healthcare solutions segment decreased 24.3% to $48.7 million compared to the same period in 2022. This decline can be attributed to the prevailing challenges in the dental orthodontics market, which had already experienced a softening trend. However, the company managed to offset this decrease with a 22.4% increase in revenue from non-dental market sources. During an earnings call, 3D Systems CEO and President Jeffrey Graves attributed the revenue performance to the ongoing weakness in the dental orthodontics market, particularly the clear dental aligners business. This segment has been severely affected in recent years. Despite having a strong market position, reduced consumer discretionary spending has significantly impacted the demand. Rising inflation has compelled many end-users to prioritize basic necessities such as food, gas, and rent, leading to a decline in demand for dental aligners, as Graves explained to investors. According to the CEO, the market “seems to be stabilizing,” but it has “yet to return to growth.” As a result, management expects the pressure in dental to continue through midyear and then “moderate” as supply and demand come back into balance in the second half of 2023.
Non-Dental SalesAlthough dental dragged down revenues, an increase in sales from the non-dental markets managed to offset the overall results a bit. This can be attributed to the ongoing expansion of 3D Systems orthopedic business, which has incorporated advances in printing hardware and material systems, as well as the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the software to optimize the full medical workflow. This workflow encompasses the receipt of the patient’s digital imaging data through the surgical planning process with the patient’s surgeon and the printing and finishing operations, which provide patient-specific medical implants. The capability to produce these implants within days of the initial request and do so while manufacturing custom surgical instrumentation and cutting guides to aid surgeons in the operating room has been critical to the success of life-changing orthopedic repairs for more than 150,000 patients. In addition to a decline in revenue, 3D Systems reported a net loss of $29.4 million, or 23 cents per share. This loss can be attributed mainly to reduced total sales volume and the inflationary effect on costs. Furthermore, the company experienced a decrease of $12 million in adjusted EBITDA, reaching a negative $10 million in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period the year before. This decline reflects the lower sales volumes in the digital orthodontics market and inflationary impacts on input costs. Financial Analysis
According to Senior Research Analyst Troy Jensen from Lake Street Capital, the first quarter results were “relatively in line with our survey work and expectations” going into 3D Systems earnings call. Excluding weakness in dental aligners, the expert believes 3D Systems experienced “solid double-digit growth with significant strength in industrial applications.” Overall, Jensen said he sees interest in additive manufacturing increasing, although recessionary concerns and tight lending is extending sales cycles and delaying purchase decisions.
Restructuring3D Systems – which has subsidiary firms like Systemic Bio, Titan Robotics, and Kumovis – announced a restructuring initiative early this year to improve 2023 profitability. As it grapples with reorganizing the business, 3D Systems announced it had to lay off 6% of its workforce.
Also, during the earnings call, the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Michael Turner, indicated that the targeted “reduction in headcount” is part of the next phase of the restructuring initiative, which “aims to improve operating efficiencies” throughout the company to “drive long-term value creation.”
Following the announcement, now-former 3D Systems Procurement Specialist Nicholas Van Buren posted on LinkedIn: “I was recently affected by a wave of layoffs. I appreciate the opportunity and connections I made in my role at 3D Systems and wish everyone the best of luck. I really did learn a lot of skills and knowledge from a lot of amazing people there. If you are aware of any opportunities in Procurement/Sourcing, please let me know!” Van Buren had begun working at 3D Systems four months ago after transferring from Thermo Fisher Scientific. In, perhaps, a related move, 3D Systems CTO Brent Stucker left the company after almost two years. He joined as Chief Scientist in September 2021 after selling his AM simulation startup, 3DSIM, to Ansys and was given the title of CTO in November 2022. Stucker posted on LinkedIn:
As part of its ongoing reorganization efforts, 3D Systems anticipates a reduction in operating expenses by approximately $4 million to $6 million in 2023, resulting in annualized savings of $9 million to $11 million starting in 2024. In addition to these measures, the company had previously announced restructuring initiatives earlier this year, which are expected to yield savings of $2.5 million to $3.5 million in 2023 and $5.5 million to $7 million in 2024 and beyond. These combined initiatives can save the company up to $9.5 million in 2023 and $18 million in 2024. As a result of this most recent phase of 3D Systems’ restructuring initiative, management is raising its full-year 2023 adjusted EBITDA guidance to $2 million or better and reaffirming the guidance for revenues, which is expected in the range between $545 million and $575 million. The post 3D Printing Financials: 3D Systems Announces Net Loss, Weak Dental Sales and Layoffs appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/as1ukW0 May 12, 2023 at 07:36AM
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Mario Carpe | Jazz Vejer Visual Identity https://ift.tt/aTcC0JS Jazz Vejer is an intimate festival that avoids the crowd, where quality is more important than quantity and experience is the key. An event made with the heart where one can enjoy jazz music in a special environment. Jazz Vejer is a festival for the senses, a place where good music is accompanied by excellent gastronomy, the smell of spring, the light of Cádiz, the green of the mountains, and the blue of the Atlantic. The first edition was held in 2016 and from the first year, the team achieved notable public success and recognition at a professional level in the jazz sector. For 2023, the team were looking for a new image to break all the stereotypes. They did not want to show the event as another traditional festival visually based on classic elements and musical instruments of this gender, nor did they seek to make a direct reference to the environment where the festival takes place, since they had already done so in past editions. They were looking for something really different, all this to capture a young and mature audience that seeks quality and a good atmosphere. With these premises, Mario Carpe created a visual identity where openness, improvisation, fun, and diversity are highlighted through different shapes, bold colour schemes, and typography, without forgetting the human, close and personal touch through handcrafted strokes and scribbles, creating a strong and eye-catching graphic contrast. Based on the main visual, and thanks to its flexibility, Mario’s marketing materials were created to extend and keep the image of the event, including posters, banners, social media posts, and other collaterals, for its different communication channels. www.mariocarpe.com Printing via People of Print https://ift.tt/ScMlp8q May 12, 2023 at 04:12AM |
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