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AMUG Newsletter August 2011

By August 22, 2011October 12th, 2016

A Word from the President

Gary Rabinovitz AMUG President

Gary Rabinovitz
AMUG President

Welcome 3DSUG/AMUG community to your 2011 August Newsletter!

We have been working hard this summer to prepare for the 2012 3DSUG/AMUG Conference in Costa Mesa, California, April 22-26. There have been a number of changes that have occurred since our last newsletter, so let’s get started.

What is Our Name?

As we transition from 3DSUG (3DS Users Group) to AMUG (Additive Manufacturing Users Group) our brand will evolve from 3DSUG to AMUG. In the meantime, you will see us using 3DSUG/AMUG as we transition. As mentioned in our last newsletter, the legal filing for the new name is in process, and we will update the community as soon as it is official.

European Expansion

We are very excited to announce the expansion of our presence in Europe. The 3DSUG/AMUG is pleased to appoint Graham Tromans and Stefan Ritt to two new European liaison positions. The European liaisons will assist in building the awareness of the 3DSUG/AMUG conference to the owners and operators of additive manufacturing technology in Europe and act as our European contact points. Although these positions are not board positions, they are very important as we expand the users group globally within the additive manufacturing industry.

Graham Tromans is the principal consultant with G P Tromans Associates, located in the West Midlands, UK. Graham is a great addition to our European team and is very excited to be working with us. Graham has been a member of the 3DSUG/AMUG for 20 years and is a past Dinosaur Award recipient. Members in Europe can reach Graham at graham@gptromansassociates.com.

Stefan Ritt manages export, sales & marketing for SLM Solutions, located in Lubeck, Germany. Stefan is an extremely energetic and very personable individual, and he is also very excited to be joining the 3DSUG/AMUG. Members in Europe can reach Stefan at stefan.ritt@slm-solutions.com.

Congratulations and thank you both for accepting these very important positions!

Our Best Wishes

Over the last four years, 3DSUG had the privilege of working with ACG (Angerman Communications Group) and Nadra Angerman. This last month the two organizations decided to part company. On behalf of the board and the users group, I would like to personally thank Nadra and her team for their hard work and dedication to our group and industry. We wish Nadra and the ACG Team continued success in all their future endeavors.

Addition to the Team

We are pleased to announce the addition of Todd Grimm to our team. Todd is the president of T. A. Grimm & Associates, Inc. and will assist the 3DSUG/AMUG with our marketing efforts, including updating our website and editing and publishing our newsletter. Welcome Todd Grimm!

Website Update

We are in the process of updating our website and providing additional value to the AM community. If you have not visited our website (www.am-ug.com) in awhile, please be sure to do so. The changes to our website will be an on-going process, so as we continue to make changes and provide updates, we will make sure to let you know.

As always, please let me know if there is anything we (the board) can do for you.

Best regards,
Gary Rabinovitz
3DSUG/AMUG President

Our Mission: AMUG educates and advances the uses and applications of additive manufacturing technologies.

VP Report:

Mark Abshire Vice President

Mark Abshire
Vice President

Sponsorship Updates and Opportunities

We are so grateful to our past, long-time sponsors for supporting our conferences and making them successful events. As we begin to expand and include all additive manufacturing technologies in our conference, we want to expand the benefits to our sponsors, too. We are offering more opportunities at every level; White, Gold, Silver, Platinum and Diamond. To see a full description of the opportunities, please check out our website at www.am-ug.com/sponsor-information.htm.

If you are interested in being a sponsor for the 2012 AMUG Conference, please contact vicepresident@am-ug.com.

Our sponsors are crucial to maintaining the low cost of our conference and activities. We ask you, our members, to join us in supporting and thanking them for their contributions.

Regards, Mark Abshire 

2012 Sponsors

spon

Sponsor News – Stratasys

The new Fortus 250mc

The new Fortus 250mc

Introducing the Fortus® 250mc 3D Production System

The new Fortus 250mc from Stratasys® offers engineers the reliability and flexibility of a professional-grade 3D production system at an affordable price. Produce durable prototypes, manufacturing tools and end-use parts easily and quickly. Its proven Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology platform means you’ll get the reliability you need to integrate the 250mc into your product development and manufacturing processes.

Powered by Insight:

Like all Fortus 3D Production Systems, the Fortus 250mc comes with Insight job processing and management software. Insight allows you the flexibility to adjust build parameters that control the look, strength and precision of parts. The control is in your hands!

Learn more about Fortus 250mc

BREAKING THE BOND: The New ABS-ESD7 Static Dissipative Plastic70

If static charge can damage your products, impair their performance or even cause an explosion, check out the newest additive manufacturing material from Stratasys – ABS-ESD7.

ABS-ESD7 Static Dissipative Material

Ideal for protecting electronics damage from electrostatic discharge (static shock), preventing fire and explosion (static spark) and preserving equipment (static cling), parts built with ABS-ESD7 will have a target surface resistance of 107 ohms and typically a range between 109 ohms to 106 ohms.

Break the bond between manufacturing tools and your products.

Electronics enclosure (top) and medical inhaler manufactured with ABS-ESD7

Electronics enclosure (top) and medical inhaler manufactured with ABS-ESD7

Fortus 400mc and 900mc 3D Production Systems can now use ABS-ESD7 to quickly and inexpensively produce static dissipative jigs, fixtures and functional prototypes.

Learn more.

AMUG Conference Value

Fred Hilbrandt FBI

Fred Hilbrandt
FBI

I have been attending the conference since 1996, when it was still the North American Stereolithography Users Group, and have been recently awarded a SL Dinosaur Award. In 2009, I won the group’s technical award for advanced applications and have been as active as my organization will let me with the group. My organization started using SL in 1993, and we are still rather unique in that we do all the designs for our AM processes as well as run the machines and post-finish all our parts. Not bad for what has been a two-man shop for most of its life.

Having recently added EOS’ DMLS process and an Objet 3D printer-and hopefully, an SLS machine in the near future-I can’t emphasize enough the value I and my organization have found from continued attendance of this conference. The networking opportunities alone provide enough justification for coming, not to mention the technical information available to attendees. But most importantly, I’ve been able to follow trends in the industry and, in some small way, influence what the various vendors make available to us, the users.

Fred Hilbrandt, FBI

Sponsor News – Objet

Old-style braces

Old-style braces

In 2010, miraclefeet, a non-profit organization, and Dr. Mike North, North Design Labs, approached Objet Geometries to help design a more affordable, comfortable brace for children with clubfoot. The organizations focus is on children in developing nations that go without treatment.

According to Frank Marangell, Objet U.S. president, the Connex500 is the ideal tool for the job. “With Connex, we have the ability to prototype rigid and soft parts-essentially 11 different mechanical properties, depending upon the type of material you use in the same part,” says Marangell. “This provides the folks making miraclefeet a unique way of really identifying the attributes they want to bring to market, making sure the cost for this is significantly reduced over what it costs today.”

Connex500 mutli-material printer

Connex500 mutli-material printer

Dr. North’s vision is a brace that is much more natural, has soft edges, connects to any shoe, and is expandable so that it will last for several years. Connex prototypes, which combine rigid bracing structures and soft, low-durometer interfaces, are the perfect evaluation tool for North’s designs.

Read the full article at Desktop Engineering.

The Sorovetz Report

Tom Sorovetz Event Manager

Tom Sorovetz
Event Manager

Well, it is August, which means we are eight months from our conference, and your board of directors is in overdrive to ensure that the historic 2012 AMUG event will be a huge success. One of the ways to help make this event a success is to get feedback from the users to help define the conference. If there are any hands-on training courses that you would like to have on the agenda, please send Gary Rabinovitz an email at president@am-ug.com.

As I stated in the July newsletter, I am in the process of creating activities for spouses and families that will join us in Costa Mesa. If your spouse and/or family are planning on joining you, please let me know by emailing me at eventmanager@am-ug.com

Costa Mesa has many great restaurants, and for the next few months, I would like to showcase a few of them. This month’s showcase is Pizzeria Ortica (pizzeriaortica.com). Pizzeria Ortica is owned by world-renowned Chef David Meyers. Chef David is the nephew of Bob and Jackie Dzugan (buyCASTINGS.com). Pizzeria Ortica is less than a half mile from the hotel, and the Hilton will provide you free transportation (but don’t forget to tip the driver) to and from the pizzeria.

As Chef David says, “We are obsessed with pizza.” And let me assure you, this is no typical pizza joint. If you are a foodie or just want to stray from the standard cheese and pepperoni pizza, then Pizza Ortica is a must.

Chef David has a passion for Neapolitan-style pizza and the rich, rustic flavors found in southern Italy-succulent antipasti, vibrant salads, hand-made pastas and wood-fired pizza. Traditional cooking techniques are paired with fresh, locally sourced ingredients plus select wines and artful cocktails. If you are interested in eating at Pizzeria Ortica, I highly suggest reservation because that place gets crowded. When making reservations, please let them know you are part of the AMUG and that Jackie Dzugan sent you (Jackie has much more pull than Bob).

Have a great summer (or what’s left of it).

Thomas A. Sorovetz

From the Editor

Todd Grimm Editor

Todd Grimm
Editor

Having attended the past two conferences, I became enamored with this organization. Its members are open, inviting and friendly-for newcomers and old-timers alike-and the event is educational and informative. So, when asked if I could assist with this newsletter, the website and media releases, I didn’t hesitate in saying, “Yes.”

I encourage you to be just as receptive to an invitation to attend the conference, support this group or share your knowledge.

I’ve been in this industry for 21 years, and I have not found any other gathering of AM professionals that I hold in such high regard. Many are close, but AMUG outshines them all. I hope to do my part in maintaining this level of excellence. But I need your help; please send question, comments and submissions to news@am-ug.com.

Regards, Todd Grimm

About AMUG

3DS Users Group is in the process of transitioning to AMUG, an organization that educates and advances the uses and applications of additive manufacturing technologies. The transition to AMUG supports the expansion of the user group to include all commercial additive manufacturing technologies for companies such as 3D Systems, EOS, Objet Geometries, Stratasys and Z Corporation. AMUG meets annually to provide a forum for technical presentation on processes and new technologies. This information addresses operation of additive manufacturing equipment and the applications that use the parts they make
Connect with members on the organization’s websiteBlog, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube networks.