President’s Report
Bret Bordner
President
We are making good progress on the 2014 AMUG Education & Training conference, but there is still a lot to do. And with nearly every action, we create new opportunities for you to assist and play a role.
Conference registrations and hotel reservations are now online (see the Secretary’s and Sorovetz’s reports below). Our first request for assistance is to register as early as possible. Having a pre-conference head count helps us to plan everything from session room sizes to the number of meals we need to guarantee.
Our agenda, in terms of the session tracks offered, is now complete (see ‘Conference Sessions’ below). A lot of thought went into this so that we give you the information you want and need most. You can assist AMUG in three ways: taking the lead in building a session, moderating or speaking . If interested, please contact me at president@am-ug.com. Shortly, we will be posting the call for speakers and request for moderators on the website.
Our work to spread the word about the conference kicks off next week at TCT Show + Personalize (Birmingham, England, September 25 – 26). Gary Rabinovitz, past president, will be manning the AMUG booth at the show with some assistance from Graham Tromans, ambassador, and Todd Grimm, AM industry advisor. Stefan Ritt and Ulf Linde, ambassadors, will also be there to tell all about our event.
All the best,
Bret Bordner
AMUG President
president@am-ug.com
Our Mission: Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) educates and advances the uses and applications of additive manufacturing technologies.
Sponsor News – Stratasys
Peek Inside Bentley Motors Prototyping
The very name evokes luxury: Bentley. When automotive designers are tasked with maintaining a reputation of excellence, they obsess over details. The design studio team at Bentley Motors prototypes virtually every aspect of a new car, inside and out, in miniature using PolyJet technology.
The tires, the headlamps, even the interior beverage decanter, according to David Hayward, operations and projects manager. “With this technology, we can simulate exactly how the car will look,” Hayward said. Later in the design process, the team also 3D prints many components at full scale.
PolyJet technology’s ability to build multiple materials into a single part is a big benefit. A recent video and case study from Stratasys offer a sneak peek at Bentley’s use of 3D printing.
3D Printed Lenses Coming Soon
ENGINEERING.com
LUXeXcel demonstrated just how well its Printoptical process works by printing a complete pair of eyeglasses for Dutch royalty King William-Alexander and Queen Maxima.
In its demonstration, LUXeXcel engineers designed and printed the eyewear’s lenses and frames in a single print job. What’s more, no post-processes, like grinding or polishing, were required to finish the lenses. Read the full story at ENGINEERING.com.
More news from ENGINEERING.com:
Presentations — AM of Metals Track
Bob Zubrickie is leading the track on additive manufacturing of metals at the 2014 Conference. He’s getting an early start and is ready to outline the agenda, so he is actively seeking speakers and ideas for presentations that you’d like to hear.
Bob is looking for everything from introductory information for those wanting to get started to discussions of technical challenges and resolutions. He also thinks that success stories would be a nice addition. He is open to any suggestions that you have.
According to Bob, he has already received some great suggestions and many offers to present. “For those that have sent me ideas and offered to speak, thank you,” said Bob.
At present, all Bob is asking for is a short paragraph describing your idea or presentation topic.
“This is not a call for an outline or white paper. I just need to nail down this track so that we offer the attendees the best exposure to this technology,” he concluded.
You can contact Bob at bobz@te.com.
Sponsor News – Stratasys
Yes, You Can 3D Print Injection Molds for Prototypes
This brief video shows Budapest University’s success with injection molding prototype parts using their real production material and process. See the mold parts emerge from a Connex 3D Printer, mount on the injection molding system and produce a cooling fan prototype from POM (acetal).
Secretary’s Report
Kim Killoran
Secretary
It’s time to mark your calendars and register for the 2014 AMUG Education & Training Conference.
Spanning five days, the conference has a jam-packed agenda for both novices and advanced additive manufacturing users. Join us for four full days of presentations and hands-on workshops, two-night AMUGexpo and technical competitions. To keep your batteries charged, we also supply great food and good company.
When: April 6 – 10, 2014
Where: Tucson, Arizona
Price: $695.00 (advanced registration)
To register for the conference, visit https://www.regonline.com/amugreg_2014. For those that can’t spend 2014 budget money quite yet, we have a ‘Save & Return Later’ option that allows you to register now and pay layer. So there’s no reason to wait.
Kim Killoran
Secretary
The Sorovetz Report
Tom Sorovetz
Event Manager
Well, before you know it, the 2014 AMUG Conference and Exposition will be upon us. So there is no time like the present to make your hotel reservation to guarantee the $137.00 per night rate.
For those that are planning to arrive early (Thursday or Friday prior to the start of the conference), I have one quick note regarding reservation. There is a conference that ends on Friday, April 4th, and the majority of its attendees will depart on Saturday. That means that your desired room type (e.g., king bed) may not be available. Go ahead and reserve your room for your entire stay and then call the hotel directly to request a move to another room for Saturday and beyond.
The discount code is ‘AMUG,’ and there are several ways to register: calling the hotel directly at (520) 544 5000, going to the Hilton website (www.hilton.com) or following the link from our registration page.
If you have any issues, please let me know so that I can help resolve them.
See you in Tucson,
Thomas A. Sorovetz
Event Manager
