AMUG May 2021

President’s report

AMUG 2021 was an amazing event for all that could join us in Orlando. In many ways, it was the same as in years past, yet there were some differences.

Of course, we missed those that could not attend. But the smaller gathering reminded me of AMUG Conferences in the days of old—when you bumped into the same people repeatedly and continued previous conversations. Yet, as in previous years, the information sharing between members was phenomenal.

That interaction and those connections aren’t something that happens when placed in a virtual gathering. However, AMUG did need some virtual elements for the program. For example. the Innovators Showcase was a blend of virtual (pre-recorded) and live, yet it was well-received. But I don’t anticipate any future virtual activities for AMUG. Our event is for sharing between members, and we strive to facilitate discussions that lead to successful advancements. These are best achieved when engaging face to face.

Our awards presentations were a bit different from previous years. For DINO Awards, four were selected, not the nine or ten of recent years, and the four DINOs had masks on their snouts. Our Innovators Award was accepted on behalf of the honoree who could not travel to the event. For the first time ever, we named two individuals for President’s Awards. For the Technical Competition, we named two winners from a pool of 13 great entries, a healthy number when considering travel bans and travel hesitancy.

What didn’t change were the evening activities where AM conversations continued into the night while we decompressed from a long day and reenergized for the next. We received rave reviews for our private off-site at Universal Studios and end-of-conference pool party.

Throughout the week, we had challenges, but we made it work! Challenges of board members not in attendance and very high daytime temperatures, to name a few, went unnoticed because the AMUG team pulled together to make it work. Another key to making it work was our host, Hilton Orlando. I thank its staff for welcoming us and working very hard to personally cater to our needs.

Things went very well, but there is always room for improvement. We will be compiling (and then acting on) the feedback from our open-forum session, via the Mobile App, and from comments made to the team. For that input, I thank you.

Our next conference will be held April 3-7, 2022, and there is a lot to accomplish in less than a year. In the meantime, we anticipate there will be more live interactions during other’s events, and I encourage you to be on the lookout for information on where we might be able to meet. As these opportunities arise, we will make notifications through the newsletter and social media channels (LinkedIn, Twitter).

If you are interested in being more involved, please let us know at volunteer@amug.com. We look forward to making next year even better!

Be safe and stay well,

Carl Dekker
President

DINO Awards

Congratulations to the four individuals that were selected to receive another prestigious honor, the Distinguished INnovator Operator (DINO) Award.

• Shane Collins, ASTM International
• Giles Gaskell, Hexagon
• Ana Neves, RAMCO
• Robin Van Bragt, Eagle Design and Technology

With the addition of these four deserving individuals, AMUG has recognized only 172 individuals as DINO-worthy over the past 33 years. What sets them apart from all others? Years of selfless service to AMUG and the AM community.

Congratulations Shane, Giles, Ana, and Robin for becoming DINOs!

2021 DINOs (left to right): Shane Collins, Robin Van Bragt, Giles Gaskell and Ana Neves.

Good reads

Never been to an AMUG Conference and don’t quite understand what makes it different? Amongst all the articles recapping the 2021 AMUG Conference, two stand out for their depiction of the vibe, dynamics, and openness of our event.

3Dprint.com: An Unforgettable AMUG | 3D Printing Leadership Redefined in 2021

3D Printing Industry: AMUG Conference 2021 Post-Event Report: Exceeding Expectations

ExOne showcases new Metal Designlab™ by Rapidia at AMUG 2021

AMUG 2021 proved to be quite an exciting return to events for all who attended. Orlando was a fantastic venue, and the event staff and producers did an amazing job!

We are proud to say our ExOne Metal Designlab™ and world-class team of binder jetting experts were highlights of the show. Our booth was buzzing with great conversation about our innovative 3D printing services. ExOne team members participated in multiple panels throughout the week, providing insights on metal binder jetting as the technology continues to grow and become adopted by many industry segments. Among ExOne’s slate of speakers, ExOne CTO Rick Lucas spoke about the company’s achievements with 6061 aluminum.

Show attendees got a first look at the ExOne Metal Designlab™ by Rapidia, the original two-step method of 3D printing bound metal parts for direct sintering without debinding. The printer is made possible with HydroFuse™, an innovative water-based paste containing metal or ceramic powders.

Congratulations to AMUG on the successful 2021 event

It was our honor and privilege to be a Diamond Sponsor at this year’s AMUG Conference, and we wish to express our congratulations to the AMUG team for pulling off a fantastic event. With a superb location at the Hilton Orlando, the Dyndrite team was eager to greet existing and new industry friends.

While enjoying being able to show and discuss Dyndrite’s Accelerated Computation Engine, we also welcomed the HP team demonstrating the HP Universal Build Manager Powered by Dyndrite. This is the first commercial application developed on top of Dyndrite, and it demonstrates the power, freedom, and control that can be achieved in AM software.

Any attendees that didn’t get a chance to talk with us, please reach out, and we will be happy to set up a call and demonstrations for you.

AMUGexpo had ended, but the Dyndrite conversations continued.

Webinar: Technical Deep Dive – Overcoming the Top 5 Challenges of 3D Printing

Join us for a webinar on Thursday, June 3, at 11:00 am EDT / 10:00 am CDT

3D printing solutions are advancing at a record pace, challenging many myths. Attend LuxCreo’s webinar and learn how photoinitiated 3D printing is improving mechanical property performance, eliminating post-processing steps, achieving volume production with high yield, and lowering total cost of printing solutions.

In this webinar you will learn:

• Mechanical properties: How new photoinitiated resins are producing products with isotropic properties and higher performance than other 3D printing and traditional materials
• Post-processing: How 3D printing solutions achieve UV stable color, smooth surface finish, and high clarity without requiring dyeing and polishing post processes
• Yield: How the 3D printing process is changing and achieving part production manufacturing yield of over 90%
• Cost: How producing production parts with 3D printing solutions is becoming more economical

Coming soon:

• Webinar Technical Deep Dive – Top 5 Challenges of 3D Printing – June 3 @11am EDT
• LuxCreo – Ask a Live Expert* – June 10 @11am EDT
• 3D Printing Clear Aligner Production Made Easy – June 24 @11am EDT
• LuxCreo – Ask a Live Expert* – July 1 @11am EDT
• 3D Printing 101 – Elastic Design for Production – July 15 @11am EDT

For more information about our webinar series, to submit a question for *Ask-an-Expert free live one-hour Q/A, or to submit requests for future topics, please contact us at info@luxcreo.com.

Learn the latest on how 3D printing advancements have overcome the top 5 challenges of 3D printing. Register here for the live webinar.

Recounting the AMUG 2021 experience

We all agree that getting back to in-person events was very exciting for BASF and all the attendees, expressed by the many smiles and fist bumps. Old friends got a chance to meet again; new friendships and business relationships were formed. It felt great to get back to business and enjoy beautiful Orlando. One of the special highlights was our visit to exciting Universal Studios where we enjoyed great food, great fun, and many thrills.

At the conference, there was a lot of interest in the PP and TPU applications highlighted by BASF and our partner Extol.  We also started several PA 6 MF discussions that we are excited to start collaborating on.

We were excited to partner this year with AMT to present smoothing for TPU and PP for filament and powder. For additional effect, we demonstrated our flexible coatings for TPU and an adhesion promotor for our PP.

Ultrasim® simulation service was an area that most attendees were unaware of. We definitely have a lot of follow up in the coming weeks!

Metal filament was also a popular topic. There was even one attendee that knew of the BASF Catamold® business!

As we move into the future, it is exciting to see new opportunities coming to life, businesses opening their doors to in-person activities, and a much brighter outlook.

Discussing applications for BASF solutions during a break from the AMUG activities.

Essentium HSE 280i HT 3D Printer gives manufacturers the ultimate machine tool to 3D print at scale

The manufacturing industry is increasingly moving toward a leaner and more agile future enabled by AM. This is the beginning of radical change, where billions will be saved through new economic and production models. But this change requires continuous and unrelenting innovation to be able to do things not done before, to make parts that haven’t been made before, and manufacture things that haven’t been manufactured before.

This is Essentium’s goal with the launch of the industry’s first true IDEX machine—the Essentium High Speed Extrusion (HSE^TM) 280i HT 3D Printer is 5 to 15x faster than the competition and is built to transform manufacturing floors by solving the issues of speed, strength, and scale.

Unlike other IDEX 3D printers on the market, the HSE 280i HT 3D Printer features true independent dual extruders whereby each head is fully independent on both the X- and Y-axis. This enables manufacturers to speed time to industrial-scale production of parts, even for complex geometric shapes, while significantly reducing post-processing costs.

For more information, please join Essentium’s webinar on May 24 at 10 a.m. CST. Details here.

The new HSE 280i HT 3D Printer with independent dual extruders.

2021 AMUG Conference delivers, as 3DMP will detail in its summer issue

As the first major North American AM industry event in more than a year, the 2021 AMUG Conference brought together 1000-plus attendees, exhibitors, and top-notch presenters. Safe to say that AMUG 2021 delivered. 3D Metal Printing was there in force, and we will detail the technology and topics displayed and discussed in our Summer 2021 issue, due out in July. AM for metals, especially material and software developments, represented a significant portion of the proceedings, with new formulations along with developments in workflow software of particular importance.

And remember, 3DMP’s 6th Annual 3D Metal Printing Experience and Tech Tour is going virtual. A series of webinars taking place over two days (June 22 and 24), the event, free to attendees, features eight AM experts discussing the latest technology and developments in metal 3D printing. Find out more and register here.

At AMUG 2021, exhibitors showcased their capabilities, including this block displayed by Fabrisonic that demonstrates the ability to combine multiple AM processes and materials (Ultrasonic AM on top for embedded electronics and LPBF for lower portion).

3D-printed circuit boards: How they’re made and why they matter

In the past ten years, 3D printing has gone from a niche prototyping tool to a process acceptable for mass production. Most of the recent hubbub has been about monolithic plastic and metals. But new materials and processes have appeared to help create 3D-printed PCBs that meet long-standing engineering problems.

If the history of electronics manufacturing could be summarized in one phase, it would be, “Shrinking everything to nothing to squeeze out something faster.” The push towards miniaturization has been driven by the inviolable laws of nature—faster devices that consume less power require shorter electrical paths.

Read the whole story here.

Examples of inkjet-printed circuitry made with a BotFactory SV2 PCB printer.

May issue features generative design

The May issue of Digital Engineering magazine takes a deep dive into generative design, including the role of optimization and how the technology can be applied across a range of manufacturing approaches (including additive). We also look at the role of AM in shoring up the global supply chain, and the democratization of simulation.

You can download the issue here.

May issue of DE delves into generative design.

3D Printing Industry’s review of the week

Open. Industrial. Production. Partnership—this is how our reporter Dayton Horvath summed up his week in Orlando.

“This event was a reminder that even after 15 difficult months, it is the community’s openness that will lead to partnerships and to success in industrial production, however you may define it,” writes Dayton.

You can read the full 3D Printing Industry AMUG Conference post-event report here.

Jim Reddy, BASF 3D Printing Solutions, showing a thermoplastic polyurethane lattice.

Get the new issue of Metal AM magazine, Spring 2021

The Spring 2021 issue of Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine is out now and available to read for free in your browser, as a pdf download, or via our Metal AM app for iOS and Android. It includes the following exclusive features:

Mauro Antolotti and BEAMIT: The story of Italy’s leading AM parts producer and its founder’s view on the industry

Why do we need Women in 3D Printing? The what, the who, and the why of the blog that became a movement

The need for speed, and how the right powder can reduce AM part production costs by 50%

Metal Additive Manufacturing: Why standards lay the foundation for continued industry growth

The advantages of Additive Manufacturing for the processing of platinum group metals

Obstacles to the adoption of metal AM by small- and medium-sized enterprises

Additive Manufacturing of aluminium parts by Directed Energy Deposition: Possibilities and challenges

Euro PM2020 technical review: Advances in process control for metal Binder Jetting (BJT)

View online or download your free copy, or get the app today for access to this issue and the full Metal AM magazine archive.

Get Metal AM’s Spring 2021 edition online or via the app.

AMUG 2021 did not disappoint

The first physical event in over a year for many in the AM community, AMUG 2021 was highly anticipated in the industry. And it did not disappoint. Thanks to stringent safety measures, the conference was able to welcome a variety of attendees and companies alike over four days. As can be expected, quite a bit of news came out of the event as manufacturers wanted to show users what they could expect from them in the coming months.

At 3Dnatives, we did a round-up of all the news coming from AMUG this year. From Essentium’s new partnerships to new machines from Massivit, Titan Robotics, and nScrypt, see what you might have missed. Read it here.

AMUG 2021, held in Orlando, was one of the first physical events for the AM community in over a year.

Production AM for golf, prostheses, even beer brewing

AM is here to stay for production applications. In the May issue of Additive Manufacturing Magazine, we take a look at 3D printing’s advance into various industries, some more conventional than others. Learn how AM is enabling custom bone implants in emerging economies; affordable prostheses and orthoses; more efficient operation of the world’s largest particle accelerator; new possibilities for golf clubs; and even an answer to supply chain disruption for the inventor of a hydrometer device for home brewers.

Read the issue here and subscribe to receive the next edition in your inbox.

AM for production, across many industries, is covered in the latest issue.

Stryker uses 3D printing to speed recovery from knee replacement surgery

Medical device manufacturer Stryker began investing in AM 20 years ago. Today, the company is among the leading producers of prostheses and other orthopedic devices, and it operates a facility that 3D prints 1 million components annually. The goal: shortening patient recovery times. (Read here.)

Here are some other interesting things you’ll find on our website:

A 3-part video interview with Michael Celardo, vice president of SLM partner Cumberland Additive. He talks with the Additive Report Advisor about the “business side of implementing additive manufacturing.”

Survey: In 2020, 65% of surveyed companies sourced more 3D-printed parts than in 2019.

Blog: Thinking about 3D printing 3-dimensionally. (Read here.)

If you don’t receive The Additive Report, please subscribe here.

The patella and tibia of this Stryker artificial knee are 3D printed from a titanium alloy the company developed to promote bone in-growth. (Image: Stryker)

Innovators on Innovators

Sometimes, it’s good to take a back seat and listen to really smart people discuss really smart things. It’s one of the reasons the TCT editorial team has missed being at AMUG 2021 this week where the random pick of a table number from a bowl often leads to a seat next to some interesting conversation about a new process or application.

On the most recent episode of TCT’s Additive Insight podcast, we have one such conversation. Kicking off our new Innovators on Innovators series, TCT Senior Content Producer Sam Davies got on a call with EOS founder (and this year’s AMUG Innovators Award recipient) Hans Langer and Hyperganic CEO Lin Kayser, stuck himself on mute, and listened as the two interviewed each other on their first experiences with 3D printing and what the future of design and manufacturing will look like. It’s a fascinating conversation and it’s available to listen to now wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to a conversation between EOS founder Hans Langer and Hyperganic CEO Lin Kayser on the Additive Insight podcast.