AMUG December 2021

President’s report

To our amazing AMUG Members,

We are coming up on the yearend, so I wish everyone safe and happy holidays!  I hope your travels are safe and you get some very beneficial rest and time with friends and family.

To close out the year, I once again thank all of our volunteers for taking on and developing their slices of our event. Their leadership and dedication have made for a delicious pie we will all enjoy in just a few short months. Some of these developments are in our sponsorship activities, the growing Technical Competition, and our Volunteer Committee, to name a few. Please consume (yep, I’m sticking with the pie analogy) for these and other updates below and on our website.

I need to remind you that our conference registration fee will increase early next year, which is only a couple of weeks away. Please also make your hotel registration at the same time as we anticipate the hotel filling up soon. We will have a backup hotel, but it is always best to stay onsite.

Please read on for more details on all the developments and exciting expansions in our ever-growing pie. I’m sure you will find fantastic information on the slices of our event that will give you the best experience possible. We all look forward to seeing you in person again soon!

Happy holidays to all!

Carl Dekker
President
president@amug.com

Register now and save

Register for the 2022 AMUG Conference in the next three weeks and save $100. On January 8, 2022, the registration fee increases to $1,095.00.

Registration provides access to all AMUG Conference activities, including keynotes, presentations, workshops, and panel discussions; evening activities; and ample amounts of great food.

2022 AMUG Conference
April 3 – 7, 2022
Chicago, Illinois

Call for speakers closing soon

Take the stage and contribute your AM insights and experiences at AMUG 2022. To be considered, please submit your topic idea by December 31.

When responding to the Call for Speakers, we ask interested presenters to contact the Track Leader Committee Chair, Ed Graham, at trackleader@amug.com. Based on your topic, Ed will put you in contact with the appropriate track leader, who will continue to work with you to ensure your proposed session will be valuable to the AMUG members.

The tracks for the 2022 program are:

• Aerospace/Transportation/Defense/Military
• AM Metal Technologies
• AM Technologies Non-Metal
• Casting Metal
• Education and Training
• Materials
• Medical and Dental
• Scanning & Metrology
• Software

AMUG – sharing knowledge, building friendships, serving peers

The annual AMUG Conference has been my favorite professional technical event to attend over the past 30 years. In my experience, the conference always brings together the most knowledgeable and passionate researchers, educators, and practitioners in the AM industry. Members always enthusiastically share and exchange information, and the conference is well organized to facilitate networking. Every year, I brought home lots of new information, made many new friends, and reconnected with old friends.

It amazes me that the AMUG conference is organized by members who are passionate about serving other members. The Board of Directors is comprised of volunteers elected by the members. Every one of the directors dedicates his/her experience, talents, and hundreds of hours of precious time to plan and organize the conference.

In April, you will have your opportunity to give back to the community by running for an elected position. There are four positions to be elected at the 2022 AMUG Conference. They are President, Vice President, Director of Membership, and Director at Large. The experience of serving on the board is invaluable in any professional organization.

As the 2022 conference is less than four months away, if you are interested in serving or know someone who may be interested, I strongly encourage you to check out the open positions to learn more about the roles and responsibilities (click here). You can then go to the Application Submission Form to include yourself or someone else for consideration. But don’t wait; applications are only accepted until February 5, 2022. If you have any questions, please email us: nomcom@amug.com.

I look forward to seeing you in Chicago in April.

Rey Chu
Nominating Committee Member

For Users, By Users

The Membership Committee has been hard at work to identify new and exciting ways to engage our AMUG Members and help you gain the most from your conference and the other 360 days of membership.

This committee is an awesome group with a real passion for the value AMUG has brought them over numerous years of participation. As the AMUG community continues to grow, it is critical that we double down on what “For Users, By Users” really means. I found this to be an amazing catchphrase that rolls off the tongue and is fun to say, but getting to the heart of what it means is key to our community.

AMUG continues to offer the AM community an environment that is intentionally designed for the “USER.” A place where USERS can TEACH USERS and share experiences and solutions with each other. This was true 30 years ago and is still true today. The challenges then—machines, materials, and software—are still the same, although admittedly on another level. How do we get the most out of these tools to solve our day-to-day manufacturing needs? Come to AMUG 2020 and see how By Users, For Users works!

I want to introduce the Membership Committee Members:

• Glen Drebes
• Andrew Graves
• Jennifer Johns
• Bob Markley
• Tyrggve Rogers
• Nathan Schumacher
• Roxanne Warren

Please reach out to them (send emails to membership@amug.com) and share your thoughts about AMUG membership! We want to hear your voice and understand what makes AMUG the best experience for you!

Bill Macy
Director, Membership

Technical Competition Members Choice Award

There is big news for the 2022 Technical Competition. We are excited to announce a new award to be presented at AMUG 2022 in Chicago: the Members Choice Award will be chosen by you! All AMUG attendees will vote for their favorite project through the mobile app. Make sure you check out the Technical Competition during the AMUGexpo and watch for more details.

Have you decided what you are going to enter in 2022? This is your chance to show off, receive recognition for your unique AM projects, and share knowledge with your peers. Enter your project in either the Advanced Finishing or Advanced Concepts categories…or enter both categories with different projects. Now is the time to plan for your entry. Enter the competition here. The deadline to enter is March 27, 2022, but don’t wait until the last minute!

If you have any questions, contact Bonnie Meyer, Technical Competition Committee chair, at TechComp@amug.com.

SPONSOR NEWS

Tekna titanium powder to be qualified for material standards certified by FAA, EASA, and DOD

Tekna, the world-leading provider of advanced materials to industry, has been invited by the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP) to participate in a major aerospace qualification program. The generated data will be posted in The Metallic Materials Properties Development and Standardization (MMPDS) Handbook, which is an accepted source for metallic material, recognized by the FAA, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Parts produced with Tekna’s powder material, qualified under this program, will automatically pass the initial design phase and analysis by those entities.

Royal Lovingfoss, director of NCAMP, a part of the National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State University, says, “We are happy to have Tekna engaged in this program considering they are already approved by many major aerospace companies.”

Read the full press release here.

Hybrid manufacturing workflow powered by Hexagon and Meltio

Hexagon’s latest webinar examines the hybrid manufacturing process that combines Hexagon’s world-renowned Production Machining CAM solution,  ESPRIT, with Meltio’s cutting-edge metal 3D printing technology. During the webinar, you will learn more about Sivó, a Spanish industrial machine shop, and their hybrid manufacturing workflow powered by Hexagon’s ESPRITCAM and Meltio. Topics covered during the webinar include ESPRIT’s hybrid manufacturing software solution, Meltio’s cutting-edge metal 3D printing technology, and a live demonstration of two hybrid manufacturing applications.

Additive for Direct Energy Deposition (DED) is available within ESPRIT, offering programming, optimization, and simulation for both additive and subtractive processes in one natural workflow. An additive cycle is created and treated like all other machining cycles, which may be combined in any order at any time.

Watch Hexagon’s latest webinar on the hybrid manufacturing process.

ExOne Introduces the InnoventPro™ with X1 PowderGrip™

Introduced at Formnext 2021, the new InnoventPro is the world’s most advanced entry-level binder jet metal 3D printer, with an innovative new powder management system.

Siemens is the first of several customers to place an advance purchase (press release) for the all-new metal binder jet system, which will be used to develop materials and processes before taking them to scale on the X1 160Pro™.

The InnoventPro takes the easy-to-use features of the popular Innovent+ with patented Triple ACT powder compaction technology and triples the build area and speed. The new printer uses the same printhead technology as ExOne’s production-ready X1 25Pro® and X1 160Pro™, enabling easy scalability.

The X1 Powder Grip, part of InnoventPro’s powder management system, simplifies the loading, reclamation, and reuse of MIM powders.

Learn more about Innovent Pro with X1 Powder Grip.

EOS North America Celebrates Delivery of 1,000^th Machine

EOS North America has delivered and installed its 1000th machine in the North American market, marking a 3D printing industry achievement and milestone. The milestone printer—an AMCM M 4K from EOS’ AMCM business unit—is a large-scale, four-laser, high-productivity system installed at Florida-based Sintavia, one of the world’s largest metal additive manufacturers focused on the production of advanced propulsion systems for the aerospace, defense, and space industries.

“This achievement is a significant milestone in the history of EOS and a testament to the accelerating adoption of additive manufacturing in North America. As the proliferation of AM continues, we remain the leading innovator of hardware, materials, services, and education aimed at strengthening the successful adoption and advancement of AM as a mainstream manufacturing process,” said Andy Snow, EOS North America senior vice president sales.

Visit the Formlabs 3D printing booth at AMUG 2022

At the coming AMUG Conference, Formlabs is bringing our large-format 3D printing ecosystem on the road. Come visit us at Booth D13 to see the Form 3L, Form Wash L, and Form Cure L to envision what’s possible when you combine large-format 3D printing with our ever-growing materials library.

“Form Wash L washes really smoothly, and the part was much cleaner than after my manual washes. Formlabs hit a homerun with this one.” – Travis Busbee, CTO, Voxel8

Together, these machines comprise the ideal 3D printing solution for cost-effective, in-house, large-scale production. Increase your throughput and bring your biggest ideas to life easier than ever before.

Check out our introductory blog post to learn, and then stop by our booth with your questions!

Meet the Form 3L Ecosystem.

Nexa3D takes LSPc 3D printing to the desktop for the first time

With its available ultrafast resin 3D printing portfolio, Nexa3D has been targeting industrial production. Responding to customer demand for more flexibility, Lubricant Sublayer Photo-curing (LSPc) technology is now available at the desktop. Nexa3D has just introduced its first desktop 3D printer, the LSPc-powered XiP.

Designed from the ground up, the XiP takes away the pain points of desktop resin 3D printing. A fully modular machine, smart resin feed system, mess-free material change, and sturdy and sustainable aluminum body are just the start. The real power of the XiP is in its Everlast membrane, enabling high-resolution, ultrafast results. An all-in-one wash-and-cure station completes the XiP workflow.

Meet the XiP here: your part is alReady.

Stratasys delivers an open software platform for production-scale AM

Recently, Stratasys introduced the GrabCAD^® Additive Manufacturing Platform, an open and enterprise-ready software platform that enables manufacturers to manage production-scale AM operations and integrate entire production workflows for Stratasys and non-Stratasys industrial 3D printers.

Stratasys’ platform is specifically designed for the unique needs of AM across the entire digital thread—from design through production—while also integrating with Industry 4.0 infrastructure and enterprise applications.

In addition to Stratasys’ own GrabCAD applications, the platform is open to any software vendor that meets requirements, such as references and performance testing, via an SDK licensing fee. Stratasys has added a dozen partners since the beginning of 2021, including AMFG, Teton Simulation, and Link3D.

View the full press release.

To learn more about the GrabCAD Additive Manufacturing Platform, visit www.grabcad.com.

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Look no further to begin or revitalize your career journey by applying to one of our positions today (apply here).

MEDIA SPONSOR NEWS

3D printing market set for biggest Q4 in history

According to the latest data services report from SmarTech Analysis, Q4 2021 will be the AM industry’s biggest quarter so far. The market research firm has determined that the metal 3D printing sector grew by about 18 percent, while polymers grew by 12 percent. Additive hardware, materials, and third-party services combined saw the entire 3D printing sector grow by 15 percent compared to the first three quarters of 2020. Based on these numbers and SmarTech’s projections, the 3D printing industry is set to have its biggest quarter to date at the end of 2022.

Read the details here.

Digital Engineering Technology Outlook

The December edition of Digital Engineering includes the results of our annual Technology Outlook survey, which provides data on how our readers are using AM technology—and how they plan to use it in the future. In addition, the digital issue also includes a feature on micro-scale 3D printing that looks at how high-resolution printing of very tiny components is revolutionizing a variety of applications.

You can download the issue here.

3D printing the perfect paddle for a Paralympic paracanoe champion

Paralympic paracanoe champion Emma Wiggs MBE has added to her gold medal haul with the help of experts from the Manufacturing Technology Centre and the National Composites Centre (NCC). In a world-first, a team of expert engineers came together, with Emma, to use the latest manufacturing technologies to design and produce the perfect paddle to help propel the nine-time world champion to victory in the new VL2 event, winning her second successive Paralympic gold medal in a record time of 57.028 seconds at Tokyo 2020.

Read the rest of the story here.

3D metal printing on the floor at Formnext

Held this past November in Frankfurt, Germany, Formnext welcomed thousands of AM professionals, all eager to resume the live version of this mega-AM event. Our editors were there, too, witnessing new metal-AM technology, much of it geared toward enabling serial, volume production. On display: numerous examples of cost-effective metal AM in action, including a stainless-steel fuel-injector nozzle shifted to 3D printing production via Markforged, which resulted in huge lead-time and cost cuts.

See what we saw in the Winter 2022 issue of 3D Metal Printing, due out in early February, and on our website, www.3dmpmag.com.

Out now: the Winter 2021 issue of Metal AM magazine

This issue features the Czinger 21C hypercar, which this year smashed the production car lap records for Laguna Seca and The Circuit of the Americas. With more than 350 metal AM parts, amounting to 20% of the car’s weight, this is the ultimate showcase for metal AM in real use.

In the new issue of Metal AM magazine, we interview Kevin Czinger about the car, Divergent’s 3D’s groundbreaking vehicle manufacturing concept, and the potential for AM in the automotive industry.

Don’t miss the latest issue—read it online or as a pdf download.

Formnext coverage

The 3D printing industry returned in force to live events as many made the annual journey to Frankfurt for Formnext. AM announcements came thick and fast throughout the week, with the 3D Printing Industry team onsite to bring news about the 60+ new systems and multiple new materials, software enhancements, and partnerships. Click to catch up on the 3D Printing Industry Formnext 2021 coverage.

At 3DPI, we’re very happy to be back at live events and extremely proud to be returning as a Media Sponsor for the AMUG Conference in 2022. If you’re reading this, then you probably don’t need to be reminded of what a fantastic event the conference is. But just in case you’re tempted, here are some insights from the 2018 AMUG Conference [editor’s note: although a few years old, it is a fantastic, and still accurate, depiction of the vibe, dynamics, and experience].

Q4 issue of The Additive Report set to read

The cover story of the latest Additive Report tells how B9 Creations and Black Hills Works—a South Dakota non-profit—launched a program to 3D-print devices that help disabled individuals be more self-sufficient.

Other interesting stories in the issue include:

• Automakers’ use of binder-jet printers speeding up.
• Conversation with Thermwood founder Ken Susnjara.
• Pros and cons of 3D printing cutting tools.
• New tech that yields better copper spacecraft parts.
• Plus, reports on Industry 5.0, post-processing, how additive can help lower air pollution, industry news, and new products.

Read the new issue here.

How important is sustainability in AM?

The idea of sustainability has been gaining attention rapidly in various industries, including AM. This can be seen, for instance, through the impact of the non-profit organization AMGTA (Additive Manufacturing Green Trade Association), which seeks to increase public awareness of 3D printing as a sustainable alternative to conventional manufacturing methods.

This year at Formnext, the trend towards sustainability was especially clear. As many of the exhibitors showed their commitment to environmentally friendly processes and materials. However, despite this growth, questions still remain. For example, what specific demands does the market place on companies? And how are they facing up to current and future challenges? In this article, 3Dnatives delved into the current state of sustainability in the AM sector, looking especially at the examples from Formnext 2021. Read more here.