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AT&T IoT Foundry: Making ideas a reality

3-D printing drives R&D velocity

The AT&T IoT Foundry in Plano, Texas, which specializes in “fast-paced” research and development of “Internet of Things” connected devices, relies on 3-D printing to bring concept to reality without typical slowdowns associated with third-party fabrication.

In a recent tour of the facility on the outskirts of Dallas, Foundry Director Craig Lee gave RCR Wireless News an overview of the work being done to enable objects — car doors, trash cans, refrigerators — with smart connectivity.

A big part of the Foundry team’s process involves creating working potential products from scratch. To keep pace with the free flow of ideas, 3-D printing has become essential.

Lee gave an example of how the technology for tracking a person or animal is the same but the physical execution has to be different for the variable use cases

“Internet of Things often requires a unique device,” Lee said. “Even though that solution is similar, the presentation and how you market it and what it’s going to look like is very different.”

Lee showed off a number of custom-made device housings printed in hard resin by a bank of 3-D printers. Similarly, if the Foundry staff needs to modify an existing housing or object, they have a 3-D scanner that can capture the shape, then allow for digital transformation that can then be printed.

“We are often called upon to make a very unique physical implementation,” Lee said. “That’s one of the reasons we have the space.”

For more from the AT&T Foundry, check out the RCR Wireless News YouTube channel.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Sean Kinney, Editor in Chief
Sean Kinney, Editor in Chief
Sean focuses on multiple subject areas including 5G, Open RAN, hybrid cloud, edge computing, and Industry 4.0. He also hosts Arden Media's podcast Will 5G Change the World? Prior to his work at RCR, Sean studied journalism and literature at the University of Mississippi then spent six years based in Key West, Florida, working as a reporter for the Miami Herald Media Company. He currently lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas.