In August, the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will kick off the first conference to explore the opportunities and challenges of 3D printing for the lighting industry. The conference will set the stage for discussions about the future of 3D printing for lighting components and systems through more than 30 research and state-of-the-technology presentations, as well as discussion and networking events. The 3D Printing for Lighting conference, to be held as part of SPIE Optics + Photonics 2023, the leading multidisciplinary optical sciences and technology meeting, will take place August 22-23, 2023, at the San Diego Convention Center.

Over the course of two days, experts from both lighting and 3D printing/additive manufacturing industries will present technology overviews, experiences, and detailed research regarding 3D printing methods, materials, and testing for lighting systems and optical, electronic, and thermomechanical components. Highlighting the conference will be two keynote presentations and an evening discussion forum that will cover the big picture as it relates to moving the lighting industry forward toward easily customizable lighting and a sustainable, cost-effective manufacturing model.

Opening the conference on August 22 will be Govi Rao, CEO of Phase Change Solutions, a smart materials company working to solve critical energy, environmental, and social challenges. Rao, who is serving as a conference chair, will present his talk, “Industry 5.0 – Radically Transforming the Lighting Value Chain,” discussing the potential impact of 3D printing on lighting industry stakeholders and exploring scenarios and strategies to survive and succeed amidst tectonic changes in the value chain.

On the evening of August 22, Rao, who has broad experience in LEDs and the lighting industry’s transformation, will moderate a special forum to discuss the evolution and forward momentum of 3D printing as one of the key drivers in transforming the lighting supply chain. Participants will discuss how the future of the lighting industry may be shaped by 3D printing and how to define a roadmap for this transformation.

Closing the conference on August 23 will be Dr. Samuel T. Mills of Eaton Research, the research arm of Eaton Corporation. Dr. Mills, who is serving as a conference co-chair, will present his talk, “Additive Manufacturing of Efficient, Custom, and Cost-Effective Luminaires.” His presentation will discuss luminaire design and manufacturing challenges when using traditional design, tooling, and fabrication methods, the advancement of digital tools that support the use of additive manufacturing, and the benefits of additive manufacturing in developing and deploying a custom solution to illumination.

Professor Nadarajah Narendran, Ph.D., director of research at Rensselaer’s LRC and a SPIE Fellow, initiated this conference to help bring awareness about the potential benefits of 3D printing of lighting and its ability to transform the lighting industry. “By hosting this event with SPIE, we hope to engage a large audience of lighting and 3D printing industry professionals who have a shared interest in 3D printing of lighting components and systems, and who can work together to advance research in this field,” he said.

All those interested in 3D printing and the future of lighting are encouraged to attend. The 3D Printing for Lighting conference program is available online (see list of presentations below), and registration for the conference is now open.