Skip to main content

AMUG Newsletter July 2016

By July 8, 2016October 26th, 2018

President’s Message

Steve Deak President

Steve Deak
President

Planning Ahead

Don’t be lulled into a sense of complacency. The calendar shows July, but there are only eight months until the 2017 AMUG conference. Planning is in full swing, heavily based on the conference feedback received, but we will need your help.

AMUG is unlike any other conference because the technical content is the handiwork of owners and operators of industrial AM equipment. AMUG members are the conference; making presentations, conducting workshops, networking and sharing expertise.

So how can you help? Plan now. Plan to share an AM application you use in your business or compare the benefits of different technologies. Plan a workshop to discuss safety practices. Plan a hands-on demonstration for finishing or machine maintenance techniques. All of this takes time to put together and to obtain advanced approval from your company for your content.

Make 2017 the year you step up and become an active member in the AMUG Conference agenda. If you have any questions regarding your presentation or workshop ideas, contact the AMUG chairman at chairman@am-ug.com. Consider this an early “call for presenters” so you’ll be ready when the official call is made. Planning is the key.

Steve Deak
President
President@am-ug.com

Volunteer Opportunities for 2017

Rabinovitz_2015

Gary Rabinovitz Chairman

While your AMUG Conference continues to grow so does the need for volunteers. As most of you know, AMUG is organized and run by nearly all volunteers. With a total 1,050 attendees at the 2016 AMUG Conference, I’m sure you can imagine the work that goes into running a very successful event.

As part of my duties as chairman, I’m responsible for overseeing the volunteers that help make the conference flow as well as it does without putting too much of a strain on any one person. The following is a partial list of the volunteer opportunities that will be available before and during the 2017 AMUG Conference. Please think about helping out in one of these roles, and if you are interested, please email me for additional information at chairman@am-ug.com.

  • Policy committee
  • Nominating committee
  • Conference session moderators
  • AMUGexpo setup/breakdown
  • Swag bag stuffers
  • Onsite registration desk staffers

To those that have previously volunteered, thank you. We have you on our list and will be contacting you in the near future.

Gary Rabinovitz
Chairman
Chairmant@am-ug.com

Sponsor News – Somos

Getting Stronger Parts

Ever wonder how the combination of build orientation and materials affects the strength of your parts? Learn more here.

Sponsor News – Carbon

Enabling Freedom of Design using CLIP

In order to provide exceptional experience and service for our customers, Carbon is committed to iterating and improving on our technology. As part of this effort, we continue to refine our hardware design and functionality. A recent example of this can be seen through the redesign of a door motor mount for the M1 that was previously produced with CNC machining. The door, which opens and closes using a foot sensor, is now quieter and operates more smoothly.

Following design iterations and functional prototyping using the M1 and Carbon’s RPU 70 material, Carbon mechanical engineer EJ Sabathia realized that replacing the aluminum motor mount with an M1-printed part would create a more seamless experience. EJ was able to optimize print time and the quantity of parts per print, ultimately producing each part at a lower cost compared to the original manufacturing process.

Learn more about EJ’s redesign of the M1 motor mount at www.carbon3d.com/stories.

M1 motor mount produced with RPU 70.

Sponsor News – 3D Systems

Scan-to-Print Workflow Helps Endangered Penguin

3D Systems’ end-to-end solutions were used to help an endangered penguin walk again at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. Yellow/Purple, aka “Purps”, was left with a nonfunctional flexor tendon following an altercation with another penguin. In need of an orthotic boot that was better fitting, lighter weight and more durable than previous handmade efforts, the aquarium’s veterinary staff decided to explore 3D printing.

With help from students at Mystic Middle School and 3D Systems’ local partner ACT Group, a custom orthotic boot was created for Purps using a 3D scan-to-print workflow. Following a workshop facilitated by ACT Group, the students scanned an existing cast of Purps’ foot with 3D Systems’ Capture® 3D Scanner, imported the scan data into Geomagic® SculptTM for modification and customization and sent the file to 3D Systems for printing on the multi-material ProJet® MJP 5500X. Purps can now walk and swim like the rest of her peers.

Watch a video to see how 3D Systems’ technology improved Purps the penguin’s mobility.

Purps the penguin with 3D printed orthotic boot.

Sponsor News – Concept Laser

The Largest Qualified 3D Metal Part for European Aerospace is Here

Congratulations to Thales Alenia Space who collaborated with France-based 3D printing company Poly-Shape SAS to build the largest metal AM satellite part in European aerospace. The new part is for the South Korean communications satellites Koreasat-5A and Koreasat-7. The latter is set to go into orbit in 2017 to provide coverage for South Korea, Philippines, Indonesia and India. Koreasat-5A will cater to Korea, Japan, Indochina and the Middle East. This satellite will be launched before Q2 2017.

Key accomplishments by building with metal AM are:

  • 22% weight savings for the bionic AM structure vs. conventional structure
  • 30% cost reduction based on speed to market

Europe’s largest additively manufactured part in orbit will be the aluminum antenna supports for the satellites, measuring 447 x 205 x 391 mm and weighing just 1.13 kg, are produced on an X line 1000R from Concept Laser.

To read a Q&A with Thales Alenia Space and Poly-Shape, and the full press release, click here.

Satellites’ antenna supports. Images provided by Thales Alenia Space.

Sponsor News – Stratasys

3D Printing in Medical Education and Training

In a new white paper, Stratasys analyzes 31 peer-reviewed publications on 3D printing in medical education to examine its impact on training in a wide range of areas, including neurosurgery, ophthalmology, cardiology and oncology. Almost all authors found 3D printed anatomical models to often be superior to traditional methods and that they play an important role in education.

The publications evaluated:

  • The cost effectiveness of 3D printed models compared to traditional methods.
  • Student performance when learning with 2D methods versus 3D printed models.
  • The role 3D printed models can play in standardizing teaching and assessment techniques of trainees.

3D printed anatomical models can better prepare practitioners for the clinical realm by replicating the complexity and wide range of patient pathologies. Additionally, they have the potential to enhance training where scarcity limits the use of human and animal tissues. Learn more about 3D printing in medical education here.

3D printed part for medical procedure simulation.

Sponsor News – SLM Solutions

SLM Solutions Newsletter Launch

The SLM Solutions group has released its first quarterly newsletter for customers and contacts to stay up to date with the latest developments from the company. Top stories in this introductory edition include the Nortec Award presented to SLM Solutions, the opening of the SLM Solutions office in Shanghai and information on the SLM Solutions Global User Group meeting in September.

Read the complete newsletter here.

TCT + Personalize

Latest Issue of TCT Magazine + Personalize North America Edition is Here

The latest issue features news from our cover star, 3D Systems, on its new Healthcare Technology Center in Colorado, as well as a look at new technology from HP, EnvisionTEC and XJet.

Read about how world-champion cyclist Denise Schindler’s journey to Rio 2016 may open up a world of customized prosthetics for victims of war and how 3D Platform engineers have been using 3D printing to create manufacturing aids that solve traditional manufacturing challenges.

This issue also features our huge RAPID 2016 Review feature, which includes all the biggest technology announcements, interviews from the show floor, gallery and guest columns from North America’s biggest 3D technologies event.

The latest digital issue is available to download across the globe for FREE on iOS and Android.

Sigma Labs Introduces Much-Needed In-Process Quality Assurance to Metal 3D Printing

ENGINEERING.com

Metal 3D printing enables the production of new, more efficient and intricate geometries, with the potential to reduce costs and increase the performance of a given product. While the technology holds unrealized potential for manufacturing, there are numerous hurdles preventing its widespread adoption. In addition to the cost of many metal additive manufacturing (AM) machines, one of the biggest issues with the technology is repeatability and quality control, specifically when it comes to powder bed processes like direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). Due to variables related to support structure placement and minimizing residual stress during printing, a machine operator or engineer might try 3D printing a part more than a handful of times before getting the desired outcome.

For this reason, numerous companies are working to improve control over the printing environment in order to reliably and repeatedly produce quality parts. Among them is a Los Alamos National Laboratory spin out called Sigma Labs, which has been developing quality control hardware and software for powder bed metal 3D printing processes. In an interview with ENGINEERING.com, Mark Cola, CEO of Sigma Labs, was able to discuss his firm’s PrintRite3D technology, how it fits into the larger 3D printing industry and the future of quality control in 3D printing.

Read the entire article at ENGINEERING.com.

Metal Additive Manufacturing Magazine

Just Published: Download your FREE copy of the Summer 2016 Issue Now!

In addition to over 40 pages of the latest industry news, the Summer 2016 issue of Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine includes the following exclusive features:

  • Standards for metal additive manufacturing: A global perspective
  • GKN Sinter Metals: Global tier 1 automotive supplier anticipates opportunities for additive manufacturing
  • Metal AM in the automotive industry: New vehicle structures, series components for the luxury market and beyond
  • Material selection for the production of injection molding tooling by additive manufacturing
  • Additive manufacturing of a honeycomb-structured, Ti-6Al-4V, oil-gas separation rotor for aero-engine applications

Download your FREE PDF copy of the magazine dedicated to the world of metal additive manufacturing.

About AMUG

AMUG is an organization that educates and advances the uses and applications of additive manufacturing technologies. AMUG members include those with any commercial additive manufacturing/3D printing technologies from companies such as Stratasys, Somos, Concept Laser, SLM Solutions, EOS, ExOne, Renishaw, Carbon, Arcam, envisionTEC, HP Inc., Prodways and 3D Systems. AMUG meets annually to provide education and training through technical presentations on processes and new technologies. This information addresses operation of additive manufacturing equipment and the applications that use the parts they make.

Connect with members on the organization’s website and LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Tumblr, and YouTube networks.