MCLEAN, VA— Registration is open for the IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show 2014 Conference which will run four days during IMTS, Sept. 8–11. IMTS takes place Sept. 8-13 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

“The IMTS community has made it clear that educational events for professionals already in the industry are essential as manufacturing moves ahead,” said Peter R. Eelman, Vice President – Exhibitions & Communications, The Association For Manufacturing Technology (AMT). “Those who take advantage of the IMTS 2014 Conference stand to gain an edge by keeping up with trends, evaluating new product developments and absorbing technical know-how from the industry’s thought leaders.”

Sixty-nine 55-minute presentations over four days will provide solutions to current manufacturing problems, such as improving productivity, improving part quality and developing a stable, competent workforce to lower the costs of manufacturing in the United States and create new levels of market demand. The five topic tracks for Quality/Metrology are:

• Inspection
• Measuring
• Optical / 3D
• Standards
• Testing

A complete list of conference presentation topics is available at IMTS.com.

Local Motors, Inc. also announced the winners of the first 3-D Printed Car Design Challenge that was launched in April to uncover concepts that will inform and influence the vehicle that will be printed live at IMTS. More than 200 entries, representing submissions from 30+ countries around the globe, were submitted during the six-week challenge. After a weeklong voting period and review of all entries by an independent panel of expert judges, a total of seven designs were selected as winning concepts.

The winning concept, Strati, created by Michele Anoé of Italy, will highly inspire the full-size 3-D printed prototype. "It’s simple and clean, with character," says challenge judge and MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis. "It has a nice style that really hangs together." Lonnie Love, Group Leader, Robotics and Manufacturing Systems Research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, adds, "Michele’s design offers an excellent balance between innovation, complexity and practicality. It has good 3D lines and the retractable roof is really cool."

Michele will receive a $5,000 cash award for his submission and will be invited to see his concept manufactured live in AMT’s Emerging Technology Center, Booth N-650, at the IMTS Show this September.

Dr. Karen Flammer, Co-Founder and Senior Science Advisor, Sally Ride Science®, will deliver a keynote address on Wednesday, September 10, during the Smartforce Student Summit at the IMTS - The International Manufacturing Technology Show 2014. Sally Ride Science® provides tools for college and career readiness that can build students' passion for STEM fields and careers.

IMTS is the largest industrial trade show in the Americas, drawing more than 100,000 visitors and featuring 1,900 exhibitors. The Smartforce Student Summit is held in conjunction with IMTS and gives students a first-hand, interactive view of manufacturing technology, in addition to promoting careers in the industry.

“One of the primary issues facing U.S. manufacturing is a lack of workers who have the required advanced and high-technology skills necessary in industry today. The Smartforce Student Summit is a great way to educate students, teachers and parents about the career opportunities in manufacturing,” said Greg Jones, Vice President - Smartforce Development, AMT. “Additionally, it’s imperative to generate interest among girls and young women for careers in STEM fields, including manufacturing. Dr. Flammer is a natural fit for bringing this message to the attendees at the Smartforce Student Summit.”

The Smartforce Student Summit at IMTS will be held from 9 a.m.—3 p.m. for the entire week of IMTS. More information is available at www.IMTS.com/student, including program details, a calendar save-the-date, and registration for additional notifications about the event.

To learn more about IMTS, the IMTS 2014 Conference, and to register, visit IMTS.com