The Lighting Research Center launches the first Lighting 3D Printing Conference to explore additive manufacturing and3D printing for the lighting industry. The purpose of the conference is to present new ideas and research in this growing field and to raise awareness of the possibilities of 3D printing in lighting.

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, produces objects layer by layer from a digital model. Many manufacturing industries are now seizing the opportunities that 3D printing can offer in terms of novel design and making versatile and cost-effective lighting, manufacturers have long used 3D printing for prototyping, but recent technological advances in printers and materials have made it a reality using 3D printing to make certain components of lamps much more feasible. And on demand to meet the needs of the application and installation space, increase the satisfaction of the product.

Realizing the benefits of 3D printed lighting requires new, dynamic research to determine the best methods and materials to produce high-quality, reliable custom lighting that outperforms traditionally manufactured products. The focus of this research must consider the thermal, optical, electrical and mechanical needs of lighting systems and components, as well as testing and evaluation, to overcome current challenges and enable on-demand production at a reasonable cost. Current issues in additively manufactured lighting include: Investigating materials containing copper

The conference covered a wide range of topics related to additive manufacturing for lighting. Call for technical and scientific papers related to additive manufacturing of lighting components and systems, as well as overviews of the latest technologies. Research from a variety of disciplines is encouraged. Topics include:

-Overview and the state-of-the-art for 3D printing for lighting

-Design and digital tools to support adoption of 3D printing

-Uses of 3D printing relevant to lighting

-Applications and cases studies

-Additional relevant topics