AMUG Newsletter August 2018

President’s Report

Summer is closing fast, and kids are heading back to school. This makes it feel appropriate to talk about education and training. Thirty years ago, I was not an AMUG member, so I missed the early years of the user group meetings. From my earliest exposure to the group as well as what I have heard form long-time members, the user group had a sharp focus on education and training. Over the past 30 years, we have grown, evolved and excelled to become a truly unique and highly beneficial event. However, I feel that we may have blunted the focus on education and training. The post-conference feedback supports this opinion.

The AMUG Board is acting on the feedback and has taken a hard look at the conference program. The core of our plan is an event that builds on the positive changes through the years while refocusing on education and training. What we are working on is installing program elements that will be unmatched by any other conference, trade show or expo.  Post-conference feedback was positive, overall, with a common sentiment that AMUG provides a unique experience. When we roll out the program changes, you will see that AMUG 2019 will be unique and unrivaled.

We aren’t quite ready to share the details, but they will be revealed next month. The AMUG Board will share this exciting news in our September newsletter.

Sponsor & Exhibitor Registration

We are excited to soon be launching the registration for AMUG 2019!  It will open on October 1^st, allowing sponsors and exhibitors to claim a spot for next year’s event. In preparation for the launch, we will be confirming that our information database, for sponsors and exhibitors, is correct. Please watch for incoming emails with requests to update your details. We want to make sure all exhibitors and sponsors can register for the 2019 venue when registration opens. Having the correct data will allow us to make this happen.

We are also preparing a lot of exciting activities for the AMUGexpo floor. These will be supporting our objectives of educating and advancing AM technologies. More information on these new and innovative programs will be coming soon. Be on the lookout for these announcements, which will tell you how to take advantage of these opportunities.

Major Orthodontics Laboratory Trusts Carbon’s Dental Solution for Thermoforming Applications

One of the largest family-owned orthodontics laboratories in the U.S., New England Orthodontic Laboratory (NEO Lab), recently selected Carbon’s complete dental solution to produce a variety of 3D-printed orthodontics dental parts. Powered by Carbon’s first M Series printer, clearly-defined standard operating procedures, and 100% inclusive service and support, NEO Lab was able to make more than 1,300 thermoforming models and functional acrylic wire and metal appliances within the first month of installation.

Within six weeks of using their first Carbon printer, NEO Lab was so encouraged by the printer reliability, high quality, competitive part costs, customer satisfaction, and throughput, that they decided to order two additional M2 printers and a Smart Part Washer, becoming one of the first labs to have a Carbon SpeedCell™ system to continue to grow their business in the thermoformed orthodontics appliances segment.

 Thermoformed appliances made by NEO Lab using Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis™ Technology.

EOS at IMTS 2018

Don’t miss the latest in industrial 3D printing technology from EOS at IMTS 2018, exhibiting in the Additive Manufacturing Pavilion booth #432007, and participating in a number of presentations and events throughout the week.

• New EOS M 300-4 System Unveiling
  Monday | 10 a.m. (EOS booth #432007)
• EOS Presents: EOS M 300 – The Digital Industrial Platform for Serial AM Production
  Monday | 11:20 a.m. – 12 p.m. (Smart Manufacturing Hub Booth #236800)
• EOS Presents: 3IGITAL: Intelligent Components, Digital Production Cells and Smart Applications. Tapping the Next Technological Dimension of Industrial 3D Printing
  Tuesday| 4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (West Building Skyline Ballroom)
• EOS Presents: Selective Laser Sintering: Additive Manufacturing with Polymers is Closer Than You Think
  Tuesday| 3:15 p.m. – 4:10 p.m. (Room #W194A)
• IMTS Miles for Manufacturing 5K
  Wednesday| 6:30 a.m. (DuSable Harbor)
• EOS Presents: AppliedAM
  Wednesday| 11:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Room #W183)
• EOS Networking Party
  Wednesday| 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (McCormick Place Rooftop)

Register now for the application-focused symposium AppliedAM.

Formlabs Closes on Funding Round and Names Jeff Immelt to Board of Directors

Formlabs has raised $15 million in funding from global venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates (NEA), valuing the company at over $1 billion and bringing total raised funding to date to over $100 million. The company has also announced the appointment of Jeff Immelt, former chairman and CEO of the General Electric Company, to its board of directors.

Max Lobovsky, co-founder and CEO of Formlabs. Said, “With Jeff’s appointment and this latest round of funding from NEA, Formlabs will be well positioned to continue its global growth and expansion into more product lines.” Jeff Immelt said, “I’m excited to work with Formlabs at this pivotal time in the company’s development. Max and the team have demonstrated outstanding progress to date, with best-in-class technology and impressive momentum across a wide swath of industries, including engineering, healthcare and manufacturing.”

Read the full press release here.

Jeff Immelt, former chairman and CEO of the General Electric Company, has been appointed to Formlabs’ board of directors.

Selective Laser Melting Live at IMTS!

SLM Solutions is an exhibitor, speaker and sponsor at this September’s IMTS show in Chicago. Stop by booth 43-2304 to see the re-designed SLM 280 with the PSV automatic powder handling unit, new filtration module and the industry’s best gas flow! A 30” printed titanium fan blade will also be on display, and demos of our Additive.Designer software are available.

Stop by SLM Solutions Booth 43-2304 at IMTS to discuss your projects with our experts.

GE Additive Releases New Version of Concept Laser M2 cusing Range

GE Additive has released an update to its Concept Laser M2 cusing / M2 cusing Multilaser machines to provide customers with an increased level of productivity and reliability, as well as lower overall operating costs.

Key upgrade features:

• Gas-flow improvement drives consistently higher part quality and lower operating expenditure
• New optical cooling system with additional temperature sensors creates a more stable environment in the machine driving quality and reliability
• Higher part quality and reliability are possible thanks to a more tightly controlled build environment.
• A higher build chamber with a z-axis of 350 mm and newly designed heating.
  (250 x 250 x 350 mm3)
• Updated software and additional sensors for data analytics

www.ge.com/additive

Updated Concept Laser M2 cusing / M2 cusing Multilaser machines.

IMTS 2018

Will you be attending IMTS 2018? If so, come and visit ExOne in West Hall booth #432308!

Renishaw Looks to the Future of AM at IMTS

At the Additive Manufacturing Conference at IMTS 2018, Marc Saunders, director of Global Solutions Centres at Renishaw, is giving a talk on the next phase of market growth in additive manufacturing (AM). The session will take place on September 12^th, 2018 from 10:45 to 11:00 am at McCormick Place, West Hall, Chicago, USA.

The event will focus on the industrial applications of AM for making functional components and end-use production parts. Attendees will gain practical knowledge on AM adoption and implementation and can network with AM industry leaders.

Saunders has over 25 years’ experience in high tech manufacturing and precision engineering. In his current role, Saunders is establishing a global network of Solutions Centres, which enable customers to gain hands-on experience using AM technology. During his talk at the event, Saunders will discuss the boosters needed to power AM market growth and examine how current challenges can be overcome.

Marc Saunders – director of Global Solutions Centres.

3D Systems and GF Machining Solutions Partnership to Redefine the Factory of the Future

3D Systems and GF Machining Solutions announced a partnership that will enhance metal parts production and redefine how manufacturers think about their manufacturing environments. GF Machining Solutions is a leading provider of complete solutions to the precision machining industry. By combining the strength of 3D Systems’ innovation and expertise in additive manufacturing with GF Machining Solutions’ renowned leadership in precision machining, this partnership will enable manufacturers to more efficiently produce complex metal parts within tight tolerances and reduce total cost of operation.

The integrated solutions planned will deliver a new concept in factory automation that includes software for enhanced part design, 3D printers, materials and automated material handling, milling equipment and advanced post-processing technologies. These new design and manufacturing options can enable improved products, as well as new designs, business models, and markets. The companies plan to debut the first combined solution at IMTS 2018, September 10-15, Chicago (booths #431608 and #338754).

Computed Tomography Looks Inside Additive Manufacturing

Time to market is always a design challenge. The design team at Tooling & Equipment International (TEI) had just three weeks to cast, clean, heat treat, machine and inspect a motorcycle swing arm with an architecture so intricate it almost defied gravity. Created by 3D software design company Autodesk, the swing arm was developed for the Lightning LS-218, an all-electric motorcycle produced by Lightning Motorcycle. TEI, a state-of-the-art prototype/ low volume foundry and machine shop, was commissioned by Autodesk to produce the prototype.

Due to the intricacy of the motorcycle swing arm, TEI needed to ensure structural integrity was in place after prototype production. To do that, the company turned to CT (computed tomography). Read more here.

Swing arm, designed by Autodesk, uses CT scanning to confirm structural integrity.

Materials Grab Leading Role in Early-Stage Design

Thanks to the proliferation of more cost-effective advanced materials such as carbon fiber composites and ceramics, coupled with the adoption of additive manufacturing for production, traditional design workflows related to materials are being reimagined. Engineering organizations are seeking new ways to capture and manage materials data so it becomes widely accessible to non-specialists and make it available earlier in the design cycle. Design engineers not only have a broader palette of advanced materials to experiment with, but they also have new modeling tools and additive manufacturing platforms that allow materials to be mixed, modified and optimized at a micro-scale level.

Read more here.

The Digimat materials modeling platform predicts nonlinear micromechanical behavior. (Image courtesy of e-Xstream Engineering/MSC Software.)

Additive Manufacturing at IMTS

Taking place this September in Chicago, the 2018 edition of IMTS—The International Manufacturing Technology Show—will include more additive manufacturing technology and content than ever before. Watch for these 5 trends throughout the dedicated Additive Manufacturing Pavilion and in 3D printing technology displayed elsewhere on the show floor.

IMTS also offers programming and events dedicated to AM, including the Additive Manufacturing Conference, September 11-12. With a program curated by the editors of Additive Manufacturing, the conference covers topics ranging from design strategy for 3D printing to the additive manufacturing of end-use parts at production scale. Speakers hail from Additive Engineering Solutions, Desktop Metal, HP, Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies, Jesse Garant Metrology Center, Penn State, Protolabs, UL and more. Register to attend.

The dedicated Additive Manufacturing Pavilion at IMTS  features 56 exhibitors.

3DMP Summer Issue Out; Look for Us at formnext

The summer issue of 3D Metal Printing, recapping the 2018 AMUG Conference and the RAPID + TCT Show, has printed and is available at www.3dmpmag.com. Our fall issue, out in October, goes in-depth on formnext, November 13-16 in Frankfurt, Germany. We’ll be distributing the Fall issue at this major international 3D-printing event, and our editors will be onsite, reporting on the latest metal-AM technology and happenings. Be sure to stop by our booth.

3DMP just held its Experience and Tech Tour, August 8-9 in Pittsburgh, PA, and the successful event included informative visits to the GE Additive Customer Experience Center and the Carnegie Mellon NextManufacturing Center. Stay tuned for more 3DMP conferences and info-packed webinars.

The summer 2018 issue of 3DMP recaps AMUG and RAPID + TCT. Look for an in-depth preview of formnext in the fall issue.

Return of the TCT Podcast

The 2018 TCT Show and TCT Awards are just around the corner, which means another three industry leaders will soon be inducted into the TCT Hall of Fame. We’ve been chatting about this year’s nominees and dishing up some facts in the relaunch of the TCT Podcast while our Head of Content, Dan O’Connor, has been catching up with the chosen three, as voted for by the public, in a new series of interviews.

The first interview features a conversation with Professor Emanuel Sachs, known to many as Ely, who is not only a professor at MIT, co-founder at Desktop Metal, and the inventor of the binder-jetting process, but also the man who coined the very term for which an entire industry is shaped. Listen and subscribe to be the first to hear who will be joining this prestigious list on September 26^th.

Additive Construction: From the 3D-Printed House to the 3D-Printed High-Rise

Though it is widely hyped, additive construction is continually making slow, but steady, advances. Engineering.com delves into the topic to distinguish the reality from the hype, particularly applications from pipe dreams. Read all about it here.

The SHoP Pavilion is made up of two 3D-printed structures made by Branch Technology. (Image courtesy of Branch Technology)

An Introduction to Metal Powders for AM: Manufacturing Processes and Properties

As the AM industry grows, so does the number of metal powder suppliers and the range of different powder types that are available. In a special report for Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine, Toby Tingskog, chief consultant at 3T Consulting, presents a beginners’ guide to understanding metal powders for AM.

Topics covered include powder manufacturing processes, spherocity, chemistry and measurement technologies, as well as considerations in relation to heats, lots and batches. It is hoped that this review will allow for a clearer understanding of powder properties and reduce confusion among end users.

Read the special report in Metal AM magazine’s free-to-download Summer 2018 edition.

Summer Issue includes special report on metal powders for AM.

Exhibit at RAPID + TCT 2019

RAPID + TCT is accepting exhibit space bookings for the 2019 event. The event will be held at the Cobo Center in Detroit, MI, from May 21-23. Thousands of manufacturing professionals attend RAPID + TCT to research and purchase additive manufacturing solutions in diverse industries such as aerospace, defense, automotive, medical equipment and more. It is where you can interact with key 3D technology influencers: 79% of RAPID + TCT 2018 attendees influence equipment purchase decision in their companies, and 38% of RAPID + TCT 2018 attendees had equipment budgets that exceeded $200,000.

To learn more, visit rapid3Devent.com.

RAPID + TCT is now taking bookings for exhibit space at the 2019 event.

Show Me the Money

Aerospace is not only an earlier adopter but also a rigorous testing ground for the capabilities of AM. The 3D Printing Industry team spent a week at the Farnborough International Airshow, watching AM enabled aircraft put through their paces in the sky and speaking with the enterprises behind the applications.

Fueling long-term projects, such as aerospace, takes not only time but also money. This month we opened several of our databases to anyone who wants to learn more about this later aspect. Our in-house M&A database and investment activity report are joined by the 3D Printing Industry Index. Compiled from a survey of leading enterprises in the AM ecosystem, we hope this quarterly report will prove a useful addition to our data and analytics suite.

Pratt and Whitney Geared Turbofan PW1000G aircraft engine, complete with additively manufactured components.