AMUG Newsletter March 2014

President’s Report

Bret Bordner
President

There are just twenty-four days until the AMUG Conference starts! I am ready to get away from the snow and the cold, feel the warm Tucson sun and surround myself with good people that are willing to share their additive manufacturing experiences.

Although the reduced-price, advanced registration has passed, it’s not too late to register for the conference. Having built the agenda and perused the attendee list, I know this is something you won’t want to miss.

This is the last newsletter before the conference so I want to tie up some loose ends to make things run smoothly for everyone. We have record numbers for sponsors, exhibitors and attendees … quite a few that have registered but either have not completed all the registration information or have not paid yet. We need to get these cleaned up as soon as possible so that registration runs smoothly. If you have verbally committed but not yet registered, please do so as well. All of this can be done through your RegOnline account.

The agenda is set, and all of the available slots have been filled, making for a very informative conference. Everyone that volunteered to present should have received their confirmation and login information from the Harvester program. There are four tasks that need completed, but the most important and time sensitive is uploading your presentation. Please get this completed ASAP. If you have not received your initial introductory email with your login information, please let me know.

If you have not yet made hotel reservations or have tried but have been told there are no available rooms, don’t worry. We have secured overflow rooms to accommodate you. See below for more hotel information and see the secretary and Sorovetz reports for important conference details.

In closing, don’t forget to sign up for golf on Saturday or skeet shooting on Sunday. This is always a fun time and a good way to settle in before the start of the conference. You can add these activities to your existing registration or include them in a new registration using RegOnline.

See ya’ll in Tucson,

Bret Bordner
AMUG 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

Mark Barfoot
Vice President

I just got back from a trip to visit the Hilton El Conquistador, and I know everyone is going to really enjoy this facility – and its weather definitely beats the Canadian winter I’ve been having here.

We are really excited about the sponsors and exhibitors we have this year. There are several first time exhibitors and sponsors so make sure you check our website regularly for the full list. We are just finalizing booth layout and will be posting on our website an interactive floor layout in about one week where you can go in and see the layout of the booths and plan who you want to stop and see. We are getting tight on exhibit space so if you haven’t registered yet as an exhibitor, please do so ASAP or we may not be unable to get you a spot.

Several of our exhibitors are introducing new products at the show. 2nd Systems will be launching their D2D-18 support removal station, a new way to clean your FDM parts that completely eliminates contact with the sodium hydroxide solution. Your parts come out fully cleaned, rinsed and dried. Make sure you check out the DSM Somos demo suite where they will be showcasing their new High Performance Material. Check out the Stratasys demo suite to see the new Objet500 Connex3 color, multi-material 3D printer, plus 3D printed injection molds and the new FDM Nylon 12 material.

If you have .stl files or parts that you are having problems building or are unsure what technology would work, please make sure you bring them with you as all of our exhibitors, sponsors and fellow attendees will take the time to discuss your application and help you make the best choice. The best part of AMUG is the collaboration and discussion you can have outside of the actual conference sessions, so make sure you come out to the evening events and network. It’s a great opportunity.

See you all in Tucson,

Mark Barfoot
VicePresident@am-ug.com

Sponsor News – Stratasys

Learn FDM Mass Finishing from the Expert in Tucson

Stratasys’ John Oney, who has developed and optimized an automated method to smooth and polish FDM parts in large batches, will demonstrate and discuss FDM mass finishing on Thursday, April 24, at the AMUG conference in Tucson, Arizona. Mass finishing removes layer lines and creates a range of smooth finishes from matte to high polish, and it works on parts built from several FDM thermoplastics.

Oney will cover mass finishing equipment and media, part sizes and geometries, batch sizes, and design considerations. He’ll also discuss emerging methods to speed and automate support removal, and he will share how automation in general can help direct digital manufacturing become feasible in ever-larger volumes.

Technical Competition – 2014

Gary Rabinovitz
Past President

Time is running out to enter this year’s Technical Competition. Please get your forms filled out and sent in ASAP as this is going to be a real exciting time for AMUG. The competition is fierce but friendly, and we have really worked hard to make it worth your while to enter this year.

There will be added recognition for the winners in both categories, which includes press releases, AMUG brochure coverage, and of course, a nice looking plaque to take home.

Please find the registration form by visiting the Technical Competition page on our website.

Thank you, and we will see you all shortly in Tucson.

Best regards,

Gary Rabinovitz
PastPresident@am-ug.com

TCT + Personalize

With the second edition of TCT Magazine well into production and a bursting agenda for March that shows no signs of slowing until the summer lull, TCT is ready for an action-packed start to spring.

This issue features our annual AMUG preview, giving readers a glimpse of what they can expect from the innovators and impresarios on the keynote speaker line up, and a peek at the show floor and what some of the biggest names in the industry will be bringing to Tucson in April, as well as what some of the new guys have up their sleeves. In addition, there will be comprehensive previews for other forthcoming events, including MACH 2014.

TCT is known for being keen supporter of education initiatives, and this month the whole team will be out in force to bring 3D printing technology to thousands of British schoolchildren at The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair in Birmingham, UK. The team will be meeting young people and educators and indulging their curiosity in this maturing technology, hopefully inspiring the next generation of additive manufacturing experts.

At the end of March, half our team jets across the pond to join our friends at AMUG after a pit stop in New York, while those being left behind will be returning to Birmingham for MACH 2014.

Such a busy spring has not distracted us from making progress on our own TCT Show + Personalize, which runs from September 30th to October 2nd. Indeed, the team is very proud to announce the latest addition to the keynote speaker line up, ‘Brooklyn Rising – The Story, Philosophy and Future of MakerBot’, which will be presented by both CEO Bre Pettis and President Jenny Lawton to an audience of hundreds. Pettis and Lawton will be joining EOS founder and CEO Dr Hans Langer and CEO of Materialise Wilfried Vancraen on the keynote speaker line up, which will offer visitors the widest and most informed view of the industry, building on last year’s overwhelmingly successful speaker roll call, which included a crowd-pleasing presentation from the AMUG’s own Todd Grimm.

Secretary’s Report

Kim Killoran
Secretary

We now have over 380 people registered with almost 150 of them being first-timers to AMUG. And registration is still going strong!

If you plan on attending the conference in any capacity (speaker, exhibitor, sponsor, attendee), you’ll need to register. If you haven’t done so already, register soon! The early registration discount has expired, so the attendee fee is now $795 (which is still a great value since AMUG spends more than that to make the week-long event enjoyable and memorable).

While registering, you’ll be asked if you want to participate in golf on Saturday, April 5th, or skeet shooting on Sunday, April 6th. It’s a great chance to network and enjoy Tucson. If you’re interested in attending either of these activities and have already registered, go in and update your registration accordingly. The price for each is $125.00 per person.

Your attendee registration includes all the meals for the week. However, if you’re bringing a guest that would like to dine with you, add extra lunches or the Awards Banquet onto your registration for $35.00 per lunch per day and $125.00 for the Tuesday night banquet. Those that add these options will receive special tickets when checking in at the registration desk for badge pickup. Make sure your guest brings these tickets to those functions.

There is also a daily meeting planned for any and all guests of attendees that would like to connect with other guests and find things to do together during the conference. Meet at 9:00 a.m. daily. We will post the location at the registration desk.

We’re getting excited, and hope you are too! See you soon.

Kim Killoran
Secretary@am-ug.com

The Sorovetz Report

Tom Sorovetz
Event Manager

We are less than four weeks from zero hour and the hotel rooms are filling up fast. If you have a room reserved and either have to modify your arrival or departure dates or if you need to cancel your room, please call (734-320-6310) or e-mail (EventManager@am-ug.com) me first. We have exceeded our room allotment on some nights and working through me will help me to redistribute the rooms to other conference attendees.

While at the conference, use that number or email to contact me if you have any issues or problems arise. I’ll do my best to assist and resolve.

Our Tuesday night Awards Banquet can be inside, outside or both. Considering this and that we will be in a desert region with interesting creatures, please wear long pants, a long sleeve shirt (or long sleeve jacket) and closed-toe, comfortable shoes. Our lunches are usually outside so make sure you bring a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.

Don’t forget to arrange transportation from the Tucson airport to the hotel in advance. Download the form from our transportation page, which also lists details and other options.

I’ll close with one more reminder: bring a few STL files with you. Vendors will be showcasing their software and hardware, and several plan to show you what the products can do with your designs.

Hope to see you in sunny (and warm) Tucson,

Thomas A. Sorovetz
Event Manager