There is still a lot of talk about breaking down the “silos” within a manufacturing enterprise. Siemens, like other software providers, is trying to address the problem by offering toolsets that are easier to integrate and work together.

Innovation Days, an annual event held at DMG Mori’s headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, showcases the latest manufacturing technologies available from the global supplier of manufacturing technologies. For three days in May, visitors were introduced to the DMG Mori’s advanced technologies for integrated digitization of production and service support as well as ­automation solutions for manufacturing in the aerospace, automotive, die/mold and medical industries, among others.

3DMEDNET, publisher of the journal 3D Printing in Medicine, produced a webinar with useful information for anyone in the throes of setting up and running an in-hospital 3D printing service.

Additive manufacturing, and AM machines, have gone mainstream over the past five years. The technology has advanced. More materials, including metals and composites, are being used for 3D printing, where parts are made from a digital design.

The well-established field of laser marking continues to break new ground with expanding business opportunities in automotive, oil and gas, medical and other industries.

In 2015, Utah announced a program that would have a lasting impact on the state by bringing industry and education together in a new way.