Queensland, Australia -- (SBWire) -- 01/24/2013 --The date has been released for the first dedicated Australian 3D Printing Expo. It will be held in Mackay on Thursday 13 June 2013.

The expo will feature world class speakers describing and illustrating the biggest technological breakthrough in the manufacturing and design sectors since the first industrial revolution.

The team of Australian and international industry leaders speaking at the 3D Printing Expo include:

Dr. Mark Hodge - CEO, Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC)

Mr John Barnes - Titanium Theme Leader, CSIRO

Mr Bruce Grey - Managing Director at Advanced Manufacturing CRC

Professor Milan Brandt -Professor, RMIT

Simon Bartlett - Director, Rapid Pro

Mitchell Benness - Business Development Manager, 3D Systems

There is expected to be over 200 delegates attending representing local businesses in Mackay and surrounding areas, as well as a wide range of 3D printing industry leading sponsors and exhibitors.

Event Coordinator, Lila Clarke, said that this highly anticipated conference is one of the first in Australia to address the radical impact of 3D printing in a range of industries including engineering, construction, architecture, manufacturing and health.

"3D printing is a technology that allows you to create real things in lots of different materials by building an object micro-layer by micro-layer. Even using inexpensive 3D printers, each layer can be as small as 0.1 mm - thinner than a sheet of paper.

"3D printing is about adding substance rather than removing it, whereas with laser cutting and CNC milling you are taking substance away.

"At the basic level, you can recreate objects layer by layer in plastic. The mind-blowing future includes the possibility of printing buildings in concrete as well as printing human organs layer by layer using cells and stem cells.

"What computing did for information in the virtual world, 3D printing and additive manufacture is now doing for manufacture in the real world.

"The reason for choosing Mackay instead of a major city is that there are more engineers by population ratio than any other city in Australia. There is a significant mining boom and extensive support surrounding it.

"Regional centres like Mackay generally have to travel to major cities to visit conferences. Holding the conference in Mackay allows the target market to be directly involved from the very start”, Ms Clake added.

DATE Thursday 13 June 2013
TIME 9.00am - 5.00pm
VENUE Souths Leagues Club, 81 Milton St, Mackay QLD

To register for the Expo, and for further information about the conference, please visit http://3dprintingexpo.org

About 3D PRINTING EXPO
The 3D Printing Expo is a business community project initiated by a group of small business owners in Townsville, Mackay and Brisbane. Its mission is to introduce new business and manufacturing technologies to regional and remote Queensland.

The impact that this innovation will have on the manufacturing industry is expected to be the most important since Henry Ford invented the production line.

For interviews and photos please contact
Lila Clarke
3D Printing Expo Event Co-Ordinator
Level 1, 888 Brunswick Street New Farm Q 4005
M: 0448 138 451
lila.clarke@3dprintingexpo.org