We spoke to several people at the 2005 Westec Conference and we have listed a few of their responses regarding nanotechnology:
We asked them these questions:
- Is your company looking into using nanotechnology? Why or why not?
- What do you think it will take to incorporate nanotechnology into your business and what kind of time frame would you estimate this would happen in?
- Do you see it being highly used sometime in the future?
“We [Stratasys] are looking into nanotechnology in order to advance our ceilant capabilities for certain products we have on the market now, but nanotechnology seems to be very far off in our future.”
-Michael Brenholt (Stratasys)
“I definitely see nanotechnology in the future but, unfortunately, there are not many commercial uses for it yet and there probably won’t be for a long time.”
-Steve (Dimension-3D Printing)
“I don’t see commercial companies using nanotechnology in the future until it has been fully researched because companies do not usually have the extra time and money to try extremely experimental procedures. Even well tested and used technology takes years to use innovatively. So once it is made more of a reality companies will then look to this technology to better their products.”
-John Murray (Hi-Temp Structures Corporation) |
Westec is a non-profit organization that has been around for about 20 years. They put on a conference every year that allows businesses to display their manufacturing machines and demonstrate their capabilities to thousands of different potential customers. It is a way to connect the suppliers and consumers in the manufacturing industry in a semi-competitive environment, allowing customers to get the best deal. It, in particular, allows for businesses to demonstrate new techniques and technology to customers that may never hear of it otherwise. At the same time, while veteran manufacturers come to see new innovations, entry level buyers who are considering entering the manufacturing industry have a way of surveying the prospects of machines, as well as how to use them. Overall it is a manufacturing marketplace for professionals interested in developing their current techniques, or those simply interested in the field to come together and share ideas. |