AMUG October 2025

President’s Report

Mark Twain is quoted as saying, “The secret of making progress is to get started.” The first steps toward a goal or task can feel daunting or be pushed back as we fulfill other commitments and procrastinate on the goal. Progress is created… by us!

Our progress toward meeting in Reno for AMUG 2026 is in full swing. Registration is open for members, sponsors and exhibitors. If you plan to join us in March 2026, be sure to register. We are offering early-bird pricing through December 12. Of course, you may register right up until the conference begins, but if you enjoy saving money, now is the time to do so.

DINO Award Nominations Now Being Accepted

Planning for AMUG 2026 is well underway. To fuel the event’s highly anticipated annual naming of individuals who are deserving of a DINO (Distinguished INnovator Operator), we have opened the nomination process.

This is your opportunity to nominate a colleague or yourself for this recognition of contributions to the industry and the AMUG organization. There are no criteria for who can submit a nomination. So, whether or not you’ve been an AMUG Member, you can nominate a deserving individual.

Nominations are the first step in selecting up to 10 individuals for this esteemed award.

Please review the guidelines for selection and consideration online at DINO Selection. Note that ten years of industry experience is only one of the required attributes for the DINO Award. Contributions to the AMUG organization and attendance at AMUG events are essential.

Out Now: PIM International Magazine Autumn 2025 Issue

This latest issue covers the most recent news on sinter-based AM and ceramic AM, along with applications and market insights for the closely related Metal Injection Molding (MIM) and Ceramic Injection Molding (CIM) industries.

Discover these exclusive feature articles:

• Ceramic precision meets analogue performance: How Additive Manufacturing enables design freedom in high-end audio
• MPIF’s PM Design Excellence Awards 2025: Celebrating innovation in Metal Injection Molding
• Sinter-based AM & MIM at the 21st Plansee Seminar: Cemented carbide and tungsten heavy alloy developments
• Atomik AM and the binder revolution: Rethinking the future of Binder Jetting
• Advances in water-debindable feedstock for Ceramic Injection Molding: Thicker parts, faster cycles
• Comparative study of 17-4 PH spur gears produced by Metal Injection Molding and Binder Jetting

Download your free PDF here.

Boston’s Additive Edge: MIT CSAIL’s HCI Lab is Helping Everyone Become a Designer

At MIT CSAIL’s HCI Engineering Group inside the Stata Center, Professor Stefanie Mueller’s team is turning AI into a true partner for everyday makers. Last summer, 3DPrint.com visited MIT CSAIL and met researchers Faraz Faruqi and Jiaji Li, who demoed tools that let non-experts customize and fabricate useful objects without breaking their function.

The standout, Style2Fab, restyles 3D models while safeguarding critical features like hinges, threads, and fluid channels — so a self-watering planter still works and a utensil grip can be personal and ergonomic. Beyond looks, the group encodes physical properties into models, shrinking week-long CAD workflows to minutes and enabling performance prediction before printing.

Prototypes range from assistive devices to cable-driven, biomimetic mechanisms that seem to “crawl” off the printer. The philosophy: people stay in control while AI accelerates, tests, and explains options, human and machine co-designing as a team. With a new robotic AI fabrication wing underway, CSAIL’s vision is rapidly scaling.

Read the full interview here.

Design & Simulation Summit

On October 30, Digital Engineering will present its virtual Design & Simulation Summit. Kicking off at noon Eastern Time with a live keynote on AI-assisted design and simulation tools, the Summit will also feature a session on the importance of post-processing in AM applications, presented by Carmen Torres-Sanchez of Loughborough University.

The Summit will also include case study sessions on HPC and simulation (from UL Research Institutes), digital twins for manufacturing (presented by Weber Food) and more.

You can register here.

Join Conflux Technology and PWR Advanced Cooling Technology for the Next Additive Talks Session

AM for heat exchangers: What’s the path to mainstream adoption?

Heating your living room, cooling the battery pack of an electric car, or maintaining safe temperatures in industrial plants—all rely on a pivotal component of thermal processes: the heat exchanger.

These indispensable devices can make or break the efficiency of any system they serve.

Yet, heat exchangers can be a double-edged sword. Their efficiency, or lack thereof, can determine whether new technologies succeed or fail. That’s where AM comes into play, offering the promise of more efficient, compact, and application-specific heat exchangers.

How exactly? And is this promise enough to push heat exchangers beyond niche use cases into widespread industrial adoption? Or are they already on their way?

Dr. Toby Maconachie (PWR Advanced Cooling Technology) and Ian Fordyce (Conflux Technology) will tackle these questions and more in the next Additive Talks session.

Space is limited — questions won’t go unanswered. Be prepared and secure your spot here.

Startup Augmental Develops Mouthpad^: A Mouse-Like Device for People with Paralysis

What if it were possible to control a computer, tablet, or phone without moving a finger? For people with paralysis, Mouthpad^ from Augmental makes this a reality. The device sits discreetly on the roof of the mouth and converts subtle head or tongue gestures into mouse-like commands such as scrolling, clicking, and dragging on any device, with no software required. Users can speak normally while wearing it, and the device remains virtually invisible to others.

Thanks to 3D printing, each Mouthpad^ is custom-made for comfort. Designed to make technology truly accessible, Mouthpad^ provides users with a new level of independence. 3Dnatives spoke with Co-founder and CEO Tomás Vega to learn about his inspiration for the company, the 3D printing technology behind the device, and upcoming projects.

Read the full story here.

VoxelMatters Releases New Report on the Future of AM in the Automotive Industry

VoxelMatters Research has officially released its first comprehensive study on AM in the automotive industry, providing insights into this rapidly growing segment of advanced manufacturing. The Automotive AM 2025 Report is now available, offering stakeholders a clear view of the current landscape, growth opportunities, and long-term outlook for 3D printing technologies in the automotive sector.

In 2024, the global automotive AM market reached $2.7 billion, up 22.4% year-over-year, and is forecast to grow to $32.8 billion by 2034 (CAGR 28.4%). The study highlights how polymer applications dominate by volume, while metal AM is rapidly driving value, especially in electric and high-performance vehicles.

VoxelMatters profiles 1,135 companies, including 1,021 AM specialists and 114 adopters such as BMW, GM, Ford, and McLaren. Case studies feature projects like Czinger’s 21C hypercar and GM’s Cadillac CELESTIQ, illustrating AM’s expanding role across the value chain.

The report underscores that OEMs now generate 70% of AM market value internally, integrating additive workflows to boost agility, cut costs, and strengthen supply chains. For the automotive industry, AM has moved beyond experimentation—the time to scale and invest is now.

See the full article here or get access to the full market report here.

Understand Where AM Fits in the Modern Design & Engineering Workflow

DEVELOP3D LIVE is a three-track conference taking place on March 25, 2026, in Coventry, UK, where attendees from all industries and sectors of the design and engineering workflow can connect and learn from expert speakers to get up to speed on the latest technology trends.

With a dedicated future fabrication track, it’s an opportunity to learn not only how AM systems can impact industries like automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods, but also which surrounding technologies are key to enacting change and developing a competitive advantage.

More info here.

The Key to Success in Manufacturing on Demand

On-demand manufacturing is growing thanks to the Amazon Effect, but what does it need to thrive?

Discover the insights in this article.