President’s Report
It’s a new year, and as we move into the last few months before the 2015 AMUG Conference, what we really need is to have everyone register soon (for the conference and the hotel). We need to get an accurate idea of how many will be attending so that we can properly plan for the event.
If you are wondering why you should attend, here’s my list of justification points for you and your boss.
- Five Diamond sponsors, six Platinum sponsors and over sixty exhibitors will be showing the latest and greatest in additive manufacturing technology. We are now sold out of exhibitor spaces, which means that our AMUGexpo will be filled with the best of the technology. You will have ready access to new solutions and the experts that can answer your questions and show you how their technology compares.
- There are over 200 training and education sessions throughout the week. Check out the latest agenda for all of the details. I think you’ll find that just one of these sessions can easily justify your trip. Many sessions are run concurrently so I recommend bringing a couple people from your company to ensure that you are able to attend all that are relevant to you. We have also just launched our planner where you can start to plan your time at AMUG and have it linked directly to your phone. With the planner, you can check the agenda, AMUGexpo exhibitor locations and details on all of our exhibitors and sponsors.
- We are also pleased to announce that we will be having our first “Innovator Showcase” where we conduct an on-stage interview of a key person from our industry. Chuck Hull will be our first luminary. He is the father of stereolithography and was recently inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. This is a great opportunity to get to know Chuck, as an individual, through stories of how he developed stereolithography, the challenges he faced and the lessons he learned.
- Network and share ideas and tips. When you come to the conference, you may need to move out of your comfort zone and talk to people you don’t know. This is the key to what makes the AMUG Conference special. You’ll find that everyone is very open to talking and sharing…you just need to be willing to start the conversation. If you do, you’ll be amazed by what you get out of the conference.
- There will be amazing food and entertainment every night. What other event can you go to and eat and drink like a king as part of your registration fee? We also have networking events every night that give you lots of opportunities to discuss what you learned throughout the day.
I hope that gives you a snapshot of what you can expect during your week at the AMUG Conference. I encourage you to register soon at www.am-ug.com using the Register Today button.
P.S. I have received several “failed build artwork” examples but would love to get more. If you have a submission or any questions, please drop me a line at President@am-ug.com.
Best regards,
Mark Barfoot
President
president@am-ug.com
Our Mission: Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) educates and advances the uses and applications of additive manufacturing technologies.
Vice President’s Report
Interest in the 2015 AMUG Conference & Expo has never been higher! With 90 days until the conference, all the AMUGexpo booths for Sunday and Monday evenings are SOLD OUT! What’s more, all Diamond and Platinum suites are SOLD OUT as well! This is a tremendous indication of the importance of our conference as it relates to education, training and networking. Exhibitors, sponsors and participants know the value AMUG offers.
There are still opportunities for companies desiring a presence at the 2015 conference. First and foremost, even though the AMUGexpo booths are fully reserved, we are keeping a “wait-list” in the event a few booths become available. Second, Bronze, Silver and Gold (and above) sponsorships are still available, with all the promotional benefits before, during and after the conference. Please note, without available expo space, Gold and above sponsorships are offered without a booth.
The bottom line is this: 2015 AMUG Conference sponsorship options still exist, but you’ll need to contact us as soon as possible to discuss available options. You can contact the vice presidents (Steve Deak or Dana Foster) at vicepresident@am-ug.com.
The 2015 AMUG Conference is going to be the best ever! See you in Jacksonville!
Steve Deak
VicePresident@am-ug.com
Event Manager’s Report
Happy New Year! I hope everyone has a very safe, healthy and prosperous 2015.
We are only 12 weeks away from the start of the 2015 Additive Manufacturing Users Group Conference, and if you have not visited the AMUG website lately, I suggest you go there soon. The agenda is packed with fantastic presentations and hands-on training — you might want to convince your management to send two or more people so that every aspect is covered.
For both new and past attendees, I suggest that you bring an AM part or two (that would roughly fit in the palm of your hand) that you can use in some of the hands-on training, such as a master in the silicon tooling course or specimen for the scanning, reverse engineering and metrology courses. I would also recommend putting a few STL files (and even native CAD files) on a USB drive that you can use to test the various software that will be on display, such as solidThinking, Materialise, SpaceClaim, for ease of use and functionality. There’s no better way to test the software than with files of models you use daily.
When packing for the 2015 AMUG Conference, please check out the extended forecast for Jacksonville, Florida, and pack appropriately. Weather permitting, we will eat our lunches outside so bring sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. On Tuesday evening, we go offsite for our Awards Banquet, which can be indoors, outdoors, or maybe both, so a light jacket might be required if you get cold easily.
As always, the pool and hot tub will be open 24 hours so bring your swimwear because nothing beats a 0200-hour swim for a good night’s sleep so that you will be well rested for the morning sessions.
See you in sunny Jacksonville,
Thomas A. Sorovetz
Event Manager
EventManager@am-ug.com
Secretary’s Report
If you haven’t done so already, register soon! The early registration fee of $695 will expire at midnight on March 19th, when the fee increases to $795. Remember, you’ll need to register for the conference and reserve your hotel room; these are two separate items.
If the increase in registrations, when compared to last year at this time, continues at the same pace, we could have nearly 1,000 attendees! Somewhat conservatively, the AMUG Board is forecasting 700 registrations. Either way, this will be a big year for the conference. With this level of participation, there will be many opportunities to meet new people, gain insight and network.
See you in sunny Jacksonville,
Kim Killoran
Secretary
Secretary@am-ug.com
Scholarships
In the honor and memory of two long-time supporters of AMUG, there are two scholarships available. To be considered, applications must be received by February 10, 2015.
The Guy E. Bourdeau Scholarship is awarded annually to one college student for additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing education and professional development. It is open to any student with a major (such as manufacturing, engineering, design, art, medical, etc.) who has an emphasis on, and a passion for, additive manufacturing and integrating additive manufacturing into their professional world. You can find more details on the scholarship here.
This is the first year for the Randy Stevens Scholarship, which has been created to reward the activities of a professor/teacher that focus on additive manufacturing. For details and a downloadable application, visit the scholarship page.
Technical Competition
Submissions are starting to come in for the 2015 AMUG Technical Competition, and there is still time to get your work entered. We are accepting entries until March 28th. Visit the competition’s page for all of the details and registration forms.
The Technical Competition has two categories: Advanced Concepts and Advanced Finishing. The Advanced Concepts category recognizes exemplary work that “pushes the envelope.” The Advanced Finishing category recognizes the efforts of those that bring a part to life.
All entries will be displayed at the conference’s AMUGexpo and will be judged by a panel of five “DINOs,” AMUG honorees that are expert users who graciously contribute to the member community. Winners will be announced during the conference at the Award Banquet gala.
To be eligible, a company representative must be a registered attendee for the 2015 AMUG Conference. If you have any questions, send an email to Bret Bordner, past president, at PastPresident@am-ug.com
Sponsor News – Stratasys
Stratasys Introduces New 3D Printing Curriculum for Vocational, College and University Educators
In December, Stratasys introduced a full-semester 3D printing curriculum to educators worldwide. Materials to support a 14-week college course include a curriculum guide, PowerPoint presentations, 3D models (STL files) and grading tools. Focused on community engagement, the content may be continuously refreshed with the help of participating educators.
“We notice a strong demand coming from the industry for a curriculum focusing on 3D printing,” says Shelly Linor, director of global education for Stratasys. “Educators around the world now have an opportunity to make a big impact by using and contributing to our curriculum. They will also be able to better prepare their students for future careers as 3D printing is becoming an intrinsic part of the design and manufacturing processes in leading companies,” Linor says.
Students will become familiar with the advantages of various additive manufacturing technologies in terms of precision, resolution and material capabilities. While Stratasys recommends FDM and PolyJet technologies for this course, any technology platform and any CAD software with STL support may be used.
Sponsor News – Concept Laser
Additive Manufacturing Techniques Make Possible Innovations in Implant Technology using Titanium
Having a “strong backbone” is more than just a figure of speech, it is physically imperative. A healthy spine is very important for quality of life and personal mobility. One way to alleviate spinal issues is by using minimally invasive technical components made of plastic or metal that are implanted in the body. Tsunami Medical Srl combines design, functionality and manufacturing expertise to provide implants that restore the functionality of a damaged spine as well as tools and instruments that allow surgeons to conduct a successful operation.
Tsunami Medical Srl uses LaserCUSING® to produce complex, biocompatible titanium structures with the same elasticity as PEEK; “Lobster spacers” — self-spreading spacers that can be used between intervertebral discs in surgical spinal column reconstruction; and disc prosthesis as a single component. “Conventional manufacturing methods don’t work for this kind of solution. Additive manufacturing complements our expertise in spinal column reconstruction by offering a multitude of new options.” said Stefano Caselli, CEO of Tsunami Medical Srl.
As you prepare for your participation at 2015 AMUG, make sure to stop by our demo suite to learn more about the Tsunami application, or contact us for more information.
Sandvik Boosts Research Spending for 3DP
ENGINEERING.com
Sandvik, the world’s largest metal cutting tool maker, has announced that it will be expanding its investments in additive manufacturing in an effort to explore how the manufacturing tech can spur new business. According to the Swedish company, the company’s main investment will be geared toward the development of a 3D printing R&D center.
Read the whole story at ENGINEERING.com.
More news from ENGINEERING.com:
TCT + Personalize
CES Roundup
The readers of the AMUG newsletter may not be the target audience for the hyperbolic-driven Consumer Electronics Show that descends on that quiet little desert town of Las Vegas every January, but this year did feel like the year consumer 3D printing matured into a proper consumer technology.
This was never more evident than at the MakerBot booth, where in previous years they’d used CES to launch new machines. This year a steadier, more mature MakerBot — clearly influenced by Stratasys — demonstrated a total eco-system of how the technology is being incorporated into schools, homes and in business with GE FirstBuild. The Jenny-Lawton-helmed manufacturer also showcased a line of new composite filaments, including metal, wood and clay composites, that are compatible with the MakerBot Smart Extruder. More on this story here.
Those in the know would have been particularly intrigued by Voxel8’s stand, the company formed out of Professor Jenny Lewis’ lab in Harvard (and includes former Z-Corp CEO John Kawola amongst its advisory board). It showcased their novel printing approach on their developer kit. Voxel8 is dedicated to bringing functionality to 3D printing with the use of multi-materials, and their first development is a printer that uses conductive ink coupled with standard PLA – this allows the printing of parts with in-built electronic wiring. For more I’d recommend watching our interview with the guys behind the project here.
CES 2015 also afforded a first look at Autodesk’s Spark platform and Ember printer. In other desktop SLA news, Formlabs, fresh from their settlement with 3D Systems, announced a new draft mode, which shaves a considerable 55 minutes off a leading FDM machine in printing a rook at the same resolution. Formlabs hopes this will dispel the myth of FDM being faster than its stereolithography technology.
Materialise were one of the big surprises at CES 2015. The Leuven-based firm announced during the show their first-ever build processor for the desktop 3D printing world in the form of the Leapfrog Build Processor. Materialise can take a significant chunk of credit for the development of software that led to the adoption of additive manufacturing technology at the highest level. Perhaps their new foray into desktop 3D printing can do the same for that industry?
You can see all our CES 2015 news here and watch all of our CES videos here, including interviews with Fried Vancraen of Materialise, Greg Mark of MarkForged and Jesse Harrington Au of Autodesk.