AMUG Newsletter May 2014

Incoming President’s Report

Mark Barfoot
Incoming President

I’ve said it before, but I am really excited about being your president this coming year. The AMUG 2014 Conference is still a recent memory, yet we have already started planning for the 2015 conference. A focus I have this year is to work to continue to improve the training and hands-on workshops that we all enjoy yet are part of the justification we use to get our companies to allow us to go to the conference. We are also working on ways to allow more people to be involved as volunteers to help AMUG be a success. The AMUG board will be meeting mid-August for our official board meeting, so if you have any suggestions/feedback, please send them to us prior to that time.

In order to help the board with the large task of putting together next year’s conference activities, we have added several advisors to the board. These advisors are essential to continued board continuity and keeping the overall vision alive. I would like to help you better understand the roles that each will play.

• AM Advisor – Gary Rabinovitz: Gary’s focus will be on assisting me and the past president with planning the agenda and general conference activities. (Advisor@am-ug.com)
• Expo Advisor – Derek Ellis: Having been VP this past year, Derek’s insight will allow him to help the new VP’s with AMUGexpo planning. It is a large task to call and coordinate with all our vendors, and having someone with experience to provide guidance and assistance is essential. (ExpoAdvisor@am-ug.com)
• Registrar Advisor – Mark Abshire: Mark has been an advisor for the last two years, specifically assisting the secretary with coordinating the setup of our registration system and monitoring it. His wizardry in creating reports and compiling data always helps the board stay up to date on where we are with registration. (Registrar@am-ug.com)

We plan on adding other liaisons and creating committees, so stay tuned for details to come after our board meeting.

A majority of the AMUG board, including myself, will be at RAPID, so please make sure you drop by the AMUG booth (#1428) or our respective companies’ booths to say “Hi”. We’d love to talk to you. Sponsors and exhibitors, if you are at RAPID, we will try and touch base with you regarding your sponsorship for next year. If you’d like to setup a specific meeting, please let us know. For information on RAPID, visit rapid.sme.org.

I am truly excited about what next year’s AMUG Conference is going to be like, and we look to our members to continue to help spread the word of how great an event it is.

See you at RAPID,

Mark Barfoot
2014 – 2015 AMUG President
president@am-ug.com

Our Mission: Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) educates and advances the uses and applications of additive manufacturing technologies.

Outgoing Vice President’s Report

Derek Ellis Outgoing Vice President

I would like to take a moment to thank all of our exhibitors and sponsors for their contribution at this year’s AMUG Conference. As you know, the conference could not be conducted at such a high level of professionalism without your generosity and support.

Also, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the board for allowing me to serve as co-vice president with your incoming president Mark Barfoot.

I feel honored to have been part of a team that thought outside of the box to provide you, as attendees, an agenda packed full of valuable information. I know the bar has been set high for 2015, but that’s what makes AMUG so special: dedication, pride and hard work by individuals with a passion for the additive manufacturing industry.

See you in Jacksonville!

Regards,

Derek Ellis
VicePresident@am-ug.com

Incoming Vice President’s Report

Dana Foster
Incoming
Vice President

I am very honored to be a part of the AMUG board as one of the vice presidents this year. Thank you to everyone who supported me.

Over the past several years, I have become very passionate about additive manufacturing and wanted to help further the industry through the Additive Manufacturing Users Group. The people who are involved with AMUG have been a bright spot in my career from an educational and networking standpoint. Both my passion and excitement for additive manufacturing will be shown through my work for AMUG. If you are attending RAPID, please make sure to stop by our booth. I look forward to working with and getting to know each of you!

Best regards,

Dana Foster

Guy E. Bourdeau Scholarship Recipient

I’m so glad and thankful to have been a part of AMUG 2014. It was a great honor to be there as the recipient of the Guy E. Bourdeau scholarship. I’ve never felt more welcomed and invited to join in activities and conversations. I really want to thank Mr. David Leigh for passing the scholarship information on to me; Dr. David Bourell for his strong support; and Mr. Bret Bordner and Mrs. Renee Bourdeau for their consideration.

I really enjoyed the conference. It brought the most valued and professional users together, focusing on the current and potential additive manufacturing techniques; new and better ideas; and helpful experiences. I felt that I was plugged into a powerful source and enriched by new knowledge every day. I was totally amazed by the awesome techniques and the applications being launched in the AMUGexpo and keynote presentations.

I also loved the networking lunches and events that provided people more chance to talk, exchange experiences and establish relationships. That was a great opportunity for me to broaden my horizons. All the things I’ve learned will really make my research go deeper, be more efficient and be very targeted.

By the way, I really enjoyed the beautiful scenery and great food at the Hilton El Conquistador.

AMUG 2014 was an unforgettable experience in my life. It was also a beginning that encouraged me and gave me the passion to devote myself to this promising industry as so many users do. I have fallen in love with AMUG. It is extremely valuable to connect with the wealth of knowledge and experience from the AMUG community, not only for me, but also for all attendees. I believe there will be great benefits in keeping in touch and using the network we all have built at the conference.

Finally, a big thank you to all the board members who did their very best to make this a successful conference.

I am looking forward to joining you at the 2015 AMUG Conference and really contributing to AMUG after I graduate.

Kaiyi Jiang

Sponsor News – Somos

RAPID: Service Bureau Showcase, Somos® PerFORM & New Concept Material

We received such wonderful feedback from you at AMUG, and things have continued to be extremely busy at Somos®! We are now working on preparations for the upcoming RAPID show. To continue our collaborative efforts, we are working with service bureaus to demonstrate their SL capabilities by having them participate in the first-ever Service Bureau Showcase at booth #433. Each company that participates will get a part displayed with a company profile and story. There’s still time left if you’d like to join. Contact your Somos® representative for more information.

We received so many great ideas on the thermochromic material and would again like to thank you all. After such a great success, we will be hosting a contest at the Somos® booth #908 for another concept material, so make sure to put in an entry to win a tablet.

If you didn’t get a chance to see Somos® PerFORM at AMUG, stop by our booth to explore the new applications it can open for you. While you’re there, Somos® will be unveiling the latest advancement in material technology that you can experience firsthand. We look forward to seeing you again in Detroit!

The Sorovetz Report

Tom Sorovetz
Event Manager

As I stated in the April Sorovetz Report, the 2015 AMUG Conference and Expo will be held April 19 – 23 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront in Jacksonville, Florida. If you were there for the 2013 AMUG Conference and Expo, you already know what a great facility it is. If 2015 will be your first time there, then I think you might be pleasantly surprised. The link to register for the hotel is on our AMUG website (www.am-ug.com) so please register early. As always, if you ever have to cancel your hotel reservation, please call me first so I can substitute names if necessary.

In future articles I will write about things to do while in the Jacksonville area such as visiting St. Augustine or Jacksonville Beach. I will also discuss potential outings for your spouse or guest while we are in conferences all day.

Hope to see everyone in Jacksonville,

Thomas A. Sorovetz
Event Manager